ABSTRACT
Objective To identify primary gout biomarkers. Methods Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to screen differentially expressed proteins, and to identify potential biomarkers by analysis of the biological process, cellular components, molecular functions, KEGG pathways and protein-protein interactions. Difference between two groups were measured byt test. Results We identified 95 differentially expressed proteins (50 up-regulated proteins and 45 down-regulated proteins, respectively), and 20 significant KEGG pathways. Among them, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), α-enolase (ENOA), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK1), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6PI) and moesin might play a role in the pathogenesis of primary gout. Conclusion iTRAQ technology can detect differentially expressed proteins from proteome, provides a strong theoretical basis for the study of biomarkers and evidence for the mechanisms in primary gout. However, further studies are needed.