Proteomic analysis of serum in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to investigate whether serum proteomic pattern analysis obtained using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF-MS) may help to diagnose non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the setting of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).


METHODS
We enrolled 80 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 19 healthy comparison subjects. Patients with NAFLD were classified according to their liver histology as having definite NASH (n = 48), borderline NASH (n = 22) or simple steatosis (n = 10). Liver ultrasound scanning was performed to assess the degree of steatosis. Mass spectra of serum samples were obtained using a Ultraflex II mass spectrometer.


RESULTS
The highest accuracy for NASH diagnostics was reached using 15 peaks. Corresponding sensitivity and specificity values were 73.95% +/- 3.38% and 88.71% +/- 1.39%, respectively. However, mass spectra did not allow us to distinguish NASH from simple steatosis.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that proteomic analyses of serum samples from NAFLD patients by MALDI TOF-MS do not seem to have a major clinical value for diagnosing NASH. However, the identification of 15 peaks in our study may help to further elucidate the pathophysiology of NASH and merits further investigation.
Ulukaya
Engin
E
Department of Biochemistry, Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey.
Yilmaz
Yusuf
Y
Moshkovskii
Sergei
S
Karpova
Maria
M
Pyatnitskiy
Mikhail
M
Atug
Ozlen
O
Dolar
Enver
E
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D040901:Proteomics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins