title: Classification of pancreatic cystic lesions using SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions is problematical with difficulties arising in the differentiation between malignant, premalignant or benign lesions. This preliminary study aimed to analyse pancreatic cyst fluid, using a proteomic approach, to generate reproducible protein profiles to assist in the classification of malignant and non-carcinoma samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreatic cyst fluid samples from patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and non-carcinoma cystic lesions were analysed on hydrophobic protein chip arrays by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differential protein expression profiles were observed between pancreatic adenocarcinoma and non-carcinoma cyst fluid samples using SELDI-TOF MS, with 12 protein peaks differentially expressed between pancreatic adenocarcinoma and non-carcinoma. Additionally, unique patterns were observed between the different subtypes of non-carcinoma samples as well as malignant adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this preliminary study we used SELDI-TOF MS to identify protein expression profiles of pancreatic cyst fluid, showing a potential to aid in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Scarlett
authors.forename: Jaswinder S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Samra
authors.forename: Aiqun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010181:Pancreatic Cyst / Q000145:classification*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins