[Application of SELDI-TOF serum proteome profiling in cervical squamous cell carcinoma].

Background & Objective: Up to now, there is no valid biomarker in early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) is a new technique used to identify biomarkers for cancers. This study was to screen new biomarkers and build diagnostic models for early diagnosis of cervical cancer by SELDI-TOF-MS.

Methods: SELDI-TOF-MS was used to detect the serum proteomic patterns of 91 patients with early stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma, 15 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III), and 55 healthy women (control). The serum proteomic spectra were generated on weak cation exchange (WCX2) chips. Differences in protein peaks were analyzed using Biomarker Wizard software. The diagnostic model was built by Biomarker Patterns software and further valuated by a large-scale blind test.

Results: A total of 122 protein peaks were detected at the molecular range of 1.5 to 20 ku, among which 19 ones were significantly different between invasive cervical squamous cell carcinomas and controls (P<0.001). A diagnostic model consisting of 2 protein peaks at 3,977 m/z and 5,807 m/z was established. Its specificity was 83.78% (31/37) and its sensitivity was 97.29% (36/37). A sensitivity of 94.44% (51/54) and a specificity of 94.44% (17/18) in a large-scale blind test were obtained.

Conclusion: The diagnostic model consisting of 2 protein peaks at 3,977 m/z and 5,807 m/z can discriminate cervical cancer patients from healthy women.