title: Increased expression of serum gelsolin in patients with osteosarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identification of potential serum biomarkers of osteosarcoma to aid in its early diagnosis and in the discovery of possible therapeutic targets is an area of increasing interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-dimensional difference-in-gel electrophoresis was used to assess multiple serum samples in patients with osteosarcoma. In addition, differential expression of protein biomarkers was characterized in osteosarcoma serum by using matrix-assisted desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with database interrogation. Serum samples from four individuals with osteosarcoma and four age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight significant protein spot features in the osteosarcoma sera were found. These spot features were excised, digested with trypsin, and analyzed with mass spectrometry. Gelsolin was down-regulated only in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, Western blotting and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed decreased levels of gelsolin in the osteosarcoma serum samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that gelsolin might have great potential as a biomarker of osteosarcoma and as a potential target for gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Affiliated Fu-Tian Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518033, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jing-Nan
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jian-Qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming-Tao
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D018260:Gelsolin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000097:blood*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018260:Gelsolin