Abstract
Systems biology and bioinformatics provide the feasibility for the basic research associated with “same traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome in different diseases”. In this study, the plasma proteins in postoperative colorectal (PCC) and postoperative liver cancer (PLC) patients with YDLKS (Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome) were screened out using iTRAQ combined with LC-MS/MS technology. The results demonstrated that, KNG1, AMBP, SERPING1, etc, were all differentially expressed in both PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS, and associated closely with complement and coagulation cascades pathway. C7 and C2 were another two representative factors involving in former pathway. Further validation showed that, the C7 levels were increased significantly in PLC (P < 0.05) and PCC (P < 0.05) with YDLKS group compared to those of NS (no obvious TCM syndromes) group. The AMBP levels were down-regulated significantly in PLC with YDLKS group compared to those of PCC with YDLKS group (P < 0.05). The significant differences of SERPING1 levels (and C2 levels) were shown between YDLKS and NS in PCC (P < 0.01). There were also significant differences of C2 levels between PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences of C2 levels were also found between PLC and PCC patients with YDLKS (P < 0.01). ROC curves indicated that, C7 and SERPING1 independently had a potential diagnostic value in distinguishing YDLKS from NS in PLC and PCC, providing the evidences for the material basis of “same TCM syndrome in different diseases” in PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS.
Highlights
In recent years, due to changes in diet and lifestyle, the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) increased year by year [1]
Compared to no obvious TCM syndromes (NS), 85 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were indentified in the postoperative colorectal (PCC) patients with Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome (YDLKS) (Supplementary Materials), including Plasminogen (PLG), Prothrombin F2, Apolipoprotein E (APOE), Kininogen 1 (KNG1), Von Willebrand factor, Apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), Vitronectin (VTN), Alpha-2-antiplasmin (SERPINF2), and Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2), etc (Figure 1A)
The incidence of primary CRC (PCC) increased year by year, and more of which were diagnosed as advanced PCC, only 10% were diagnosed as Stage I PCC patients
Summary
Due to changes in diet and lifestyle, the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) increased year by year [1]. Stage IIB or higher (late-stage) CRC patients, or stage II CRC patients with high risk factors, have about 50% possibility to generate recurrence or metastasis within 2 years after surgery, radical chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The concept of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes, known as ZHENG in www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget. The TCM syndrome is a clinical profile of signs and symptoms reflecting the inherent pathological changes of various diseases, which helps identifying human body patterns and guiding TCM treatments with TCM herbs [2]. With regard to CRC patients, there are Dampness-heat syndrome (DHS), Internal retention of toxin stagnation syndrome (IRTSS), Spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS), Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome (YDLKS), Qi and blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS), and Yang deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome (YDSKS) [4]. After the surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy, most of the CRC patients often show the YDLKS [5]
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