Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Vitreous Humor from Diabetic Retinopathy Patients.
Initial triggers for diabetic retinopathy (DR) are hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and advanced glycation end-products. The most pathological structural changes occur in retinal microvasculature, but the overall development of DR is multifactorial, with a complex interplay of microvascular, neurodegenerative, genetic/epigenetic, immunological, and secondary inflammation-related factors. Although several individual factors and pathways have been associated with retinopathy, a systems level understanding of the disease is lacking. To address this, we performed mass spectrometry based label-free quantitative proteomics analysis of 138 vitreous humor samples from patients with nonproliferative DR or the more severe proliferative form of the disease. Additionally, we analyzed samples from anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) (bevacizumab)-treated patients from both groups. In our study, we identified 2482 and quantified the abundancy of 1351 vitreous proteins. Of these, the abundancy of 230 proteins was significantly higher in proliferative retinopathy compared with nonproliferative retinopathy. This specific subset of proteins was linked to inflammation, complement, and coagulation cascade proteins, protease inhibitors, apolipoproteins, immunoglobulins, and cellular adhesion molecules, reflecting the multifactorial nature of the disease. The identification of the key molecules of the disease is critical for the development of new therapeutic molecules and for the new use of existing drugs.
Unit of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital , FI-00029 Helsinki, Finland.
Sirpa
S
Loukovaara
Molecular Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.|Proteomics Unit, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Helka
H
Nurkkala
Molecular Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.|Proteomics Unit, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Fitsum
F
Tamene
Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology and Haartman Institute, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Erika
E
Gucciardo
Molecular Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.|Proteomics Unit, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Xiaonan
X
Liu
Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology and Haartman Institute, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Pauliina
P
Repo
Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology and Haartman Institute, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Kaisa
K
Lehti
Molecular Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.|Proteomics Unit, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Markku
M
Varjosalo
D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D020543:Proteome; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab
apolipoproteins; coagulation cascade; complement system; diabetic retinopathy; label-free quantification; quantitative proteomics; vitreous humor