iTRAQ-based profiling and label-free quantification reveal a panel of regulated proteins in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer serum

摘要

We demonstrated that label and label-free mass-spectrometry based quantification methods together with careful attention to data analysis and experimental design allow to reveal a serum protein panel that is regulated in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. Despite the fact that the panel comprises members of the acute-phase protein family, limiting its specificity for cervical cancer, the panel proved to clearly increase the sensitivity of the current SCCA-based immunoassay. Combination with tumor-derived, more specific proteins or post-translationally modified forms of the proteins in the panel could significantly improve their diagnostic value even at the pre-cancerous CIN stage of cervical cancer due to a strong link between chronic inflammation and cancer development.