Construction of protein fingerprint signature in serum and its significance for early diagnosis with chronic allograft nephropathy

Abstract

To construct protein fingerprints in serum and to early diagnose chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) using surface enhanced laser ionization/desorption-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). Serum protein spectra were detected by SELDI-TOF-MS and weak cation exchange (CM10), which were from long-term survival patients with well-functioning kidney allograft (LS) (n = 24) and CAN (n = 15), and then biomarkers were screened through the analysis of database with Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Pattern softwares. 78 protein peaks of interest were generated in each sample, 18 protein spectra statistically show difference between LS and CAN (P < 0.05), 6 of which (m/z 2476.0, 3078.7, 3190.5, 4076.5, 4506.0, 6178.4) statistically show significant difference (P < 0.01), a single biomarker (m/z 3078.7) differentiated LTS and CAN (P = 0.0001), it was upregulated in the former and downregulated in the latter, its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% and 81.8% respectively. Its cost-effective value is 0.307. Establishment of protein fingerprint signature in serum by SELDI-TOF-MS is clinically predictive of CAN.