ABSTRACT
Objective To find the liver cancer specific peptide for serological screen of liver cancer patients via screening phage-display peptide library. Methods Fifteen sera from liver cancer patients and physical examinates were collected for the four-round screening with Ph. D. 12TM phage display peptide kit. Highly specific phage monoclones were selected based on the ELISA results of the serological assay. The peptide labeled with FITC was synthesized according to the DNA sequencing of the optimal monoclone and tested with serum via fluorescent imagery. Results Nine highly specific monoclones were found among 50 selected ones after 4 rounds of screenings. The positive rate of the optimal monoclone,ZH-3, reached 46.7 %. The peptide sequence of ZH-3 was concluded by DNA sequencing as SAHGTSTGVPWP. Desirable specificity and affinity were also shown in the serum of liver cancer patients. Conclusion The peptide ZH-3 can be used as a diagnostic reagent for liver cancer.