Identification of protein changes in the blood plasma of lung cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy using a 2D-DIGE approach

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 17;14(10):e0223840. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223840. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

A comparative analysis of blood samples (depleted of albumin and IgG) obtained from lung cancer patients before chemotherapy versus after a second cycle of chemotherapy was performed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). The control group consisted of eight patients with non-cancerous lung diseases, and the experimental group consisted of four adenocarcinoma (ADC) and four squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. Analyses of gels revealed significant changes in proteins and/or their proteoforms between control patients and lung cancer patients, both before and after a second cycle of chemotherapy. Most of these proteins were related to inflammation, including acute phase proteins (APPs) such as forms of haptoglobin and transferrin, complement component C3, and clusterin. The variable expression of APPs can potentially be used for profiling lung cancer. The greatest changes observed after chemotherapy were in transferrin and serotransferrin, which likely reflect disturbances in iron turnover after chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Significant changes in plasma proteins between ADC and SCC patients were also revealed, suggesting use of plasma vitronectin as a potential marker of SCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / blood
  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blood Proteins / analysis*
  • Blood Proteins / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / blood
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / blood
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Transferrin / metabolism
  • Two-Dimensional Difference Gel Electrophoresis / methods*
  • Vitronectin

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Blood Proteins
  • Transferrin
  • Vitronectin

Grants and funding

This study was funded by a grant from the National Centre for Research and Development in the framework of the programme “Prevention, practices and treatment of civilization diseases – STRATEGMED” (contract no. STRATEGMED2/266484/ncbr/2015) to J. Nikliński.