Screening serum markers of pancreatic cancer by 2D differential gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS

Abstract

Objective A comparative proteomic method was used to analyse serum proteins between pancreatic cancer patients and control group,and to find a new protential specific marker.Methods Comparative analysis on the pancreatic peripheral blood protein profiling from 40 pancreatic cancer patients,10 chronic pancreatitis patients,10 benign tumor patients and 40 cancer-free controls was carried out by 2D differential gel electrophoresis,and differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry.Results Two differentially expressed proteins:transthyretin and apolipoprotein E were identified.Those proteins were highly expressed in pancreatic carcinoma group compared with normal control group,chronic pancreatitis group and benign tumor group.Conclusion 2D differential gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry technology in screening specific serum biomarkers of pancreatic cancer has a well repeatability and stability.The identified protein transthyretin in this study may be as specific serum biomarkers of pancreatic carcinoma. Key words: Pancreatic carcinoma; Proteomics; 2D differential gel electrophoresis; Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; Markers