CD69 and inflammatory bowel disease: According to the PPI network of DEGs, 13 out of 446 genes displayed an elevated degree of interaction and were upregulated in UC patients: CXCL13, CXCL10, CXCL9, CXCL8, CCL19, CTLA4, CD69, CD163, CCR1, PECAM1, IL7R,TLR8 and TLR2. Chemokines can significantly increase chronic inflammation and intestinal tissue destruction in IBD through their ability to induce chemotaxis and leukocyte activation40.