title: Identification of potential plasma biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by a proteomic method.
abstract: Among malignant tumors, the mortality rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ranks sixth in the world. Late-stage diagnosis of ESCC increases the mortality. Therefore, more effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of ESCC are necessary. Unfortunately, appropriate biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognosis have not been identified yet. However, recent progresses in quantitative proteomics have offered opportunities to identify plasma proteins as biomarkers for ESCC. In the present study, plasma samples were analyzed by differential in-gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS). A total of 31 proteins representing 12 unique gene products were identified, in which 16 proteins were up-regulated and 15 down-regulated in tumors. The up-regulated proteins were alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG), leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG), zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, complement factor I and complement C4-B, whereas the down-regulated proteins were serum albumin, Ig alpha-2 chain C region, alpha-1-antitrypsin, fibrinogen gamma chain, haptoglobin and hemoglobin subunit alpha. Among all the differentially expressed proteins, AHSG and LRG were validated by ELISA. The results were consistent with the data from the proteomics results, further suggesting that AHSG and LRG may be employed as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of ESCC. In summary, this study was the first time to use DIGE combined MALDI-TOF/TOF platform to identify the potential plasma biomarkers for ESCC. The plasma AHSG and LRG showed great potential for ESCC screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Lei
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Biao
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Deng-Yan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D006801:Humans; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; MALDI-TOF/TOF; biomarkers; differential in-gel electrophoresis; plasma; proteomics