title: Altered protein expression in serum from endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological malignancies in women. The diagnosis of the disease at early or premalignant stages is crucial for the patient's prognosis. To date, diagnosis and follow-up of endometrial carcinoma and hyperplasia require invasive procedures. Therefore, there is considerable demand for the identification of biomarkers to allow non-invasive detection of these conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we performed a quantitative proteomics analysis on serum samples from simple endometrial hyperplasia, complex endometrial hyperplasia, atypical endometrial hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma patients, as well as healthy women. Serum samples were first depleted of high-abundance proteins, labeled with isobaric tags (iTRAQ), and then analyzed via two-dimensional liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Protein identification and quantitation information were acquired by comparing the mass spectrometry data against the International Protein Index Database using ProteinPilot software. Bioinformatics annotation of identified proteins was performed by searching against the PANTHER database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 74 proteins were identified and quantified in serum samples from endometrial lesion patients and healthy women. Using a 1.6-fold change as the benchmark, 12 proteins showed significantly altered expression levels in at least one disease group compared with healthy women. Among them, 7 proteins were found, for the first time, to be differentially expressed in atypical endometrial hyperplasia. These proteins are orosomucoid 1, haptoglobin, SERPINC 1, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, apolipoprotein A-IV, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4, and histidine-rich glycoprotein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differentially expressed proteins we discovered in this study may serve as biomarkers in the diagnosis and follow-up of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, 419 Fangxie Road, ShangHai, China.
authors.forename: Yi-sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yi-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Yi-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Cong-jian
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D040901:Proteomics; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011506:Proteins