Screening of differentially expressed proteins in serum from subjects with Keshan disease by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass and mass spectrometry

Objective: To screen differentially expressed proteins in serum in patients with Keshan disease (KD), peripheral blood protein expression spectrum between subjects with Keshan disease and health controls were compared.

Methods: Differentially expressed protein spots were screened by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) between Keshan disease and health control subjects, and constitutive protein were identified by matrix assisted laser adsorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

Results: 9 differentially expressed protein spots were showed in 2-DE images and 8 differentially expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. In them, 3 up-regulated proteins, mainly relatedd to lipid metabolism, apoptosis resistance, immunological regulation and 3 down-regulated proteins, involved to cellular iron ion homeostasis; 2 up-regulated proteins in serum in patients with KD versus controls from KD areas were detected, mainly associated with protease inhibition.

Conclusions: Haptoglobin, serum albumin, alpha-l-antitrypsin, transferring and alpha2-heremans schmid glycoprotein may be considered as candidate biological indicators used for diagnosis or prognosis of KD.