Fingerprint analysis of serum protein in Xinjiang Uygurs and Han patients with thyroid cancer / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare serum protein fingerprint among Uygur patients with thyroid cancer and benign thyroid nodules, and Han patients with thyroid cancer, and to screen ethnic-specific protein markers of thyroid cancer. Methods Using the technology of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), the protein expression profiles of Uygur and Han patients with thyroid cancer and Uygur patients with thyroid nodules were established and compared by image analysis software between two groups. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry coupling techniques ( LC-MS/MS) were used to identify differential protein. The protein′s name, cellular localization and functional classification were searched in Swissport database. Results There are 11 differentially expressed proteins by comparison of sera in Uygur patients with benign thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer, in which complement C3 and C4b levels were down-regulated in the serums of Uygur patients with benign thyroid nodules, and 9 proteins such as heme-binding proteins etc were up-regulated. There are 7 differentially expressed proteins by comparison of serums in Uygur and Han patients with thyroid cancer, in which transferrin level was up-regulated in the serum of Uygur patients with thyroid cancer, and 6 proteins such as cytokeratin-1 etc were down-regulated in serum of Uygur patients with thyroid cancer. Conclusion Combined screening of multiple labelled proteins including heme-binding protein,α2-macroglobulin, and transferrin protein etc may provide the basis for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer in Uygurs and Hans.