title: Detection and identification of NAP-2 as a biomarker in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma by proteomic approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers is a major reason for the high rate of Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-related mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate potential proteomic biomarkers specific for HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  81 patients with hepatitis B-related HCC and 33 healthy controls were randomly divided into a training set (33 HCC, 33 controls) and a testing set (48 HCC, 33 controls). Serum proteomic profiles were measured using Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (SELDI-TOF-MS).) A classification tree was established by Biomarker Pattern Software (BPS). Candidate SELDI peaks were isolated by tricine-SDS-PAGE, identified by HPLC-MS/MS and validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in liver tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6 proteomic peaks (3157.33 m/z, 4177.02 m/z, 4284.79 m/z, 4300.80 m/z, 7789.87 m/z, and 7984.14 m/z) were chosen by BPS to establish a classification tree with the highest discriminatory power in the training set. The sensitivity and specificity of this classification tree were 95.92%, and 100% respectively in the testing set. A candidate marker of about 7984 m/z was isolated and identified as neutrophil-activating peptide 2 (NAP-2). IHC staining showed that NAP-2 signals were positive in HCC tissues but negative in adjacent tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NAP-2 may be a specific proteomic biomarker of hepatitis B-related HCC.
authors.affiliation: Medical Scientific Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, P. R. China. hemimmim@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jian
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authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Rihong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Minhua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yuanjiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang