Comparative sera proteomics analysis of differentially expressed proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-10-2021
Abstract
Background. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has increased in incidence from 1990 to 2017, especially in South and Southeast Asia. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Therefore, early detection of OSCC is essential to improve the prognosis of OSCC. This study aims to identify the differentially expressed serum proteins as potential biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods. Comparative proteomics profiling of serum samples from OSCC patients, oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) patients, and healthy individuals were performed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) (n = 60) and bioinformatics analysis. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (n = 120) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) (n = 70) were used to confirm our findings. Results. The 2-DE analysis revealed that 20 differentially expressed proteins were detected in OPMD and OSCC (p < 0:05). Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the activation of classical complement, liver X receptor/retinoid X receptor (LXR/RXR) activation, and acute phase response signaling pathway are associated with the development and progression of OSCC. Most of the detected proteins are acute-phase proteins and were related to inflammation and immune responses, including apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1), complement C3 (C3), clusterin (CLU), and haptoglobin (HP). The expression levels of CLU and HP in ELISA are consistent with the findings from the 2-DE analysis, except for the mean serum level of HP in OPMD, whereby it was slightly higher than that in control. IHC results demonstrated that CLU and HP are significantly decreased in OSCC tissues. Conclusion. Decreased expression of CLU and HP could serve as complementary biomarkers of OSCC. These proteins may assist in predicting the outcomes of OSCC patients. However, a larger cohort is needed for further investigation.
Keywords
Biomarker, Proteomics, Oral potentially malignant disorder, Oral squamous cell carcinoma
Divisions
Dentistry
Funders
University of Malaya Postgraduate Research Grant (PPP) [Grant No: PG326-2016A],University of Malaya (UM) High Impact Research (HIR) MoE Grants from the Ministry of Education Malaysia [Grant No: UM.C/625/1/HIR/MOE/DENT/09 & UM.C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/MED/16/5]
Publication Title
PeerJ
Volume
9
Publisher
PeerJ Inc
Publisher Location
341-345 OLD ST, THIRD FLR, LONDON, EC1V 9LL, ENGLAND