To identify the master transcription factors (TF) that might be responsible for the gene expression alteration of OA.
Raw expression data for rat OA model(GSE30322) was downloaded from NCBI GEO database. Microarray data analysis for rat and human was carried out separately using functions from limma packagein R, gene expression was considered as significantly changed between conditions if adjusted 
(1)15 TFs, including FOXN4, NANOS1, E2F6, RAD21, MECOM, ETS1, MEF2A, POU2F3, BRCA1, GATA3, ZNF706, ZBTB33, SUZ12, DBP and SETDB1, were identified as the potential master TFs of up-regulated DEGs with statistical significance. (2)12 TFs, including ARID3A, YY1, RDBP, ATF1, CRX, TAF1, XBP1, SOX3, E2F4, PGR, TIMM8A and HOXA2, were identified as the potential master TFs of down-regulated DEGs with statistical significance.
The newly identified TFs maybe play important roles in pathogenesis of early experimental osteoarthritis, and our study provides new diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets for OA.