Serum and tissue proteomic signatures of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using 2‑D gel electrophoresis

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for ~85% of primary liver cancer cases and is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Effective early diagnosis is difficult for HCC; however, effective biomarkers may be beneficial for diagnosis. In the current study, serum samples, and HCC and adjacent tissue samples were obtained from patients with HCC for the detection of biomarkers using 2-D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (TOF)/TOF mass spectrometry. The crude serum samples did not need to be prepared for removal of high abundance proteins. The mRNA expression levels of HCC-associated proteins were detected in tissues using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Statistical analysis and database matching were used to identify the differentially expressed proteins detected in the serum and tissue groups. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect the expression of significant proteins in HCC and adjacent tissues. The results revealed ~800 protein spots on a 2-DE gel that were detected in serum samples, and 1,200 spots were identified in the tissue samples. The protein and mRNA expression levels of oxysterol binding protein-like 11 (OSBPL11) in HCC serum and tissue samples were consistent. Pathway analysis demonstrated that members of the apolipoprotein family, particularly apolipoprotein E (APOE), and RAS family members were closely associated in HCC, either directly or via ferratin heavy polypeptide 1. IHC results demonstrated that the APOE protein serves an important role in liver cancer development. The lysis buffer used in the current study was effective for serum protein separation in 2-DE sample preparation. In addition, the present study revealed that downregulated OSBPL11 may be a potential indicator for HCC, and the apolipoprotein family, particularly APOE, and the RAS family may cooperatively serve an important role.

Proteome Landscapes of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

“…Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a major apoprotein of the chylomicron and is involved in the lipoprotein-mediated lipid transport between organs via the plasma and the interstitial fluids. It has been reported that the expression of APOE positively correlates with the HCC tumor grade ( 39 ). In our dataset, APOE was found to be up-regulated in HCC tumor tissues and down-regulated in the CCA tumor tissues (compared with benign tissues), suggesting important differences in lipid metabolism between HCC and CCA.…”

CD5L as an Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Biomarker for Liquid Biopsy of Lung Cancer

“…Hence, the introduction of these four antibodies for immunoaffinity separation was expected to enrich the EVs specific to lung cancer in the circulation system, despite the heterogeneous size distribution. From the EV extract, prepared in this study, 55 DEPs were selected by enhanced spot density, accounting for a larger DEP pool compared to that of previous studies, such as in cases of rheumatoid arthritis and liver cancer detection (28 and 24 DEPs, respectively) [ 26 , 27 ]. In addition, all DEPs were categorized as EV-associated proteins by the Exocarta database ( , accessed on 8 February 2020).…”

Potential Prognostic Biomarkers of OSBPL Family Genes in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

“…OSBPL10 may become a prognostic marker for gastric cancer [ 9 ] and B-cell lymphoma [ 10 ]. OSBPL11 is a potential marker for hepatocellular carcinoma [ 11 ]. An overall analysis of the functions of OSBPL families for prognoses in patients with PDAC still needs to be explored.…”