Differentially expressed proteins among normal cervix, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Unveiling diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer: biomarker discovery through proteomics approaches and exploring the role of cervical cancer stem cells

Cervical cancer (CC) is a major global health problem and leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Early detection through screening programs has reduced mortality; however, screening compliance remains low. Identifying non-invasive biomarkers through proteomics for diagnosis and monitoring response to treatment could improve patient outcomes. Here we review recent proteomics studies which have uncovered biomarkers and potential drug targets for CC. Additionally, we explore into the role of cervical cancer stem cells and their potential implications in driving CC progression and therapy resistance. Although challenges remain, proteomics has the potential to revolutionize the field of cervical cancer research and improve patient outcomes.

Nuclear proinflammatory cytokine S100A9 enhances expression of human papillomavirus oncogenes via transcription factor TEAD1

Transcription of the human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogenes, E6 and E7, is regulated by the long control region (LCR) of the viral genome. Although various transcription factors have been reported to bind to the LCR, little is known about the transcriptional cofactors that modulate HPV oncogene expression in association with these transcription factors. Here, we performed in vitro DNA-pulldown purification of nuclear proteins in cervical cancer cells, followed by proteomic analyses to identify transcriptional cofactors that bind to the HPV16 LCR via the transcription factor TEAD1. We detected the proinflammatory cytokine S100A9 that localized to the nucleus of cervical cancer cells and associated with the LCR via direct interaction with TEAD1. Nuclear S100A9 levels and its association with the LCR were increased in cervical cancer cells by treatment with a proinflammatory phorbol ester. Knockdown of S100A9 decreased HPV oncogene expression and reduced the growth of cervical cancer cells and their susceptibility to cisplatin, whereas forced nuclear expression of S100A9 using nuclear localization signals exerted opposite effects. Thus, we conclude that nuclear S100A9 binds to the HPV LCR via TEAD1 and enhances viral oncogene expression by acting as a transcriptional coactivator. IMPORTANCE Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and the viral oncogenes E6 and E7 play crucial roles in carcinogenesis. Although cervical inflammation contributes to the development of cervical cancer, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of these inflammatory responses in HPV carcinogenesis are not fully understood. Our study shows that S100A9, a proinflammatory cytokine, is induced in the nucleus of cervical cancer cells by inflammatory stimuli, and it enhances HPV oncogene expression by acting as a transcriptional coactivator of TEAD1. These findings provide new molecular insights into the relationship between inflammation and viral carcinogenesis.

The Plasma DIA-Based Quantitative Proteomics Reveals the Pathogenic Pathways and New Biomarkers in Cervical Cancer and High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion

OBJECTIVE

The process of normal cervix changing into high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and invasive cervical cancer is long and the mechanisms are still not completely clear. This study aimed to reveal the protein profiles related to HSIL and cervical cancer and find the diagnostic and prognostic molecular changes.

METHODS

Data-independent acquisition (DIA) analysis was performed to identify 20 healthy female volunteers, 20 HSIL and 20 cervical patients in a cohort to screen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) for the HSIL and cervical cancer. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used for functional annotation of DEPs; the protein-protein interaction (PPI) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed for detection of key molecular modules and hub proteins. They were validated using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

A total of 243 DEPs were identified in the study groups. GO and KEGG analysis showed that DEPs were mainly enriched in the complement and coagulation pathway, cholesterol metabolism pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway as well as the viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor pathway. Subsequently, the WGCNA analysis showed that the green module was highly correlated with the cervical cancer stage. Additionally, six interesting core DEPs were verified by ELISA, APOF and ORM1, showing nearly the same expression pattern with DIA. The area under the curve (AUC) of 0.978 was obtained by using ORM1 combined with APOF to predict CK and HSIL+CC, and in the diagnosis of HSIL and CC, the AUC can reach to 0.982. The high expression of ORM1 is related to lymph node metastasis and the clinical stage of cervical cancer patients as well as the poor prognosis.

CONCLUSION

DIA-ELSIA combined analysis screened and validated two previously unexplored but potentially useful biomarkers for early diagnosis of HSIL and cervical cancer, as well as possible new pathogenic pathways and therapeutic targets.

Recent Developments on the Roles of Calcium Signals and Potential Therapy Targets in Cervical Cancer

Intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) is implicated in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in cancerous tissues. A variety of oncologic therapies and some candidate drugs induce their antitumor effects (in part or in whole) through the modulation of [Ca²⁺]i. Cervical cancer is one of most common cancers among women worldwide. Recently, major research advances relating to the Ca²⁺ signals in cervical cancer are emerging. In this review, we comprehensively describe the current progress concerning the roles of Ca²⁺ signals in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of cervical cancer. It will enhance our understanding of the causative mechanism of Ca²⁺ signals in cervical cancer and thus provide new sights for identifying potential therapeutic targets for drug discovery.

Identification of COPA as a potential prognostic biomarker and pharmacological intervention target of cervical cancer by quantitative proteomics and experimental verification

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the most fatal gynecological carcinoma in the world. It is urgent to explore novel prognostic biomarkers and intervention targets for cervical cancer.

METHODS

Through integrated quantitative proteomic strategy, we investigated the protein expression profiles of cervical cancer; 28 fresh frozen tissue samples (11 adenocarcinoma (AC), 12 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 5 normal cervixes (HC)) were included in discover cohort; 45 fresh frozen tissue samples (19 AC, 18 SCC and 8 HC) were included in verification cohort; 140 paraffin-embedded tissues samples of cervical cancer (85 AC and 55 SCC) were used for immunohistochemical evaluation (IHC) of coatomer protein subunit alpha (COPA) as a prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer; how deficiency of COPA affects cell viability and tumorigenic ability of cervical cancer cells (SiHa cells and HeLa cells) were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and clone formation in vitro.

RESULTS

We identified COPA is a potential prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer in quantitative proteomics analysis. By retrospective IHC analysis, we additionally verified the proteomics results and demonstrated moderate or strong IHC staining for COPA is an unfavourable independent prognostic factor for cervical cancer. We also identified COPA is a potential pharmacological intervention target of cervical cancer by a series of in vitro experiments.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to demonstrate that COPA may contribute to progression of cervical cancer. It can serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and promising intervention target for cervical cancer.

Understanding Cervical Cancer through Proteomics

Cancer is one of the leading public health issues worldwide, and the number of cancer patients increases every day. Particularly, cervical cancer (CC) is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women from developing countries. Thus, it is essential to deepen our knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis of CC and propose new therapeutic targets and new methods to diagnose this disease in its early stages. Differential expression analysis using high-throughput techniques applied to biological samples allows determining the physiological state of normal cells and the changes produced by cancer development. The cluster of differential molecular profiles in the genome, the transcriptome, or the proteome is analyzed in the disease, and it is called the molecular signature of cancer. Proteomic analysis of biological samples of patients with different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and CC has served to elucidate the pathways involved in the development and progression of cancer and identify cervical proteins associated with CC. However, several cervical carcinogenesis mechanisms are still unclear. Detecting pathologies in their earliest stages can significantly improve a patient's survival rate, prognosis, and recurrence. The present review is an update on the proteomic study of CC.

Screening of genes related to survival prognosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and construction of prognosis prediction model

AIM

We aimed to screen for the genes related to survival prognosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and then constructed a prognosis prediction model.

METHODS

The GSE63514 dataset was obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The CSCC gene dataset and the GSE44001 dataset were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and NCBI GEO, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve was used to evaluate the association between high and low prognosis that was with the actual survival prognosis information. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to screen out the optimized prognostic-related signature differentially expressed gene (DEG) combinations. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to perform pathway enrichment annotation analysis for DEGs that were related to risk grouping.

RESULTS

In total, 16 399 DEGs were obtained and 23 gene ontology biological processes and 8 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were screened. Nine optimized DEG groups related to independent prognosis were selected. The KM curves of pathologic N0 and N1 showed that low-risk group were associated with a better overall survival (p = 1.518e; p = 1.704e-01). The pathways related to risk grouping were cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, JAK stat signaling pathway, and glycolysis-gluconeogenesis.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of this study, we established a prognostic risk model, which provided a reliable prognostic tool and was of great significance for locating the biomarkers related to survival prognosis in CSCC.

Expression Profiles Reveal Involvement of VEGF, IGF1, BIRC5, and MMP1 in Vulvar Carcinogenesis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify key genes and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanisms of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC).

METHODS

Bioinformatic software was utilized for the identification and characterization of key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from microarrays GSE63678 and GSE38228, which contain VSCC and normal vulvar tissue data. These microarrays were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Immunohistochemical assays (55 VSCC and 50 normal vulvar tissues) were utilized to validate the expression of VEGF, IGF1, BIRC5, and MMP1 screened from the identified DEGs. SPSS 18.0 software was used for statistical analyses of the relationships between IGF1, BIRC5, VEGF, MMP1 expression levels and patient clinicopathological characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 141 DEGs were identified, among which 18 genes were closely correlated with the biological characteristics of VSCC. Four of the 18 genes (VEGF, IGF1, BIRC5, and MMP1) screened from the GEO database were markedly enriched in pathways in cancer (P < 0.05), and could be considered key genes in VSCC based on KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis in DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery).The expression levels of these 4 hub genes, determined by immunohistochemical assays, were consistent with the bioinformatics results. Higher expression of IGF1 showed significant association with well-differentiated carcinomas (P = 0.017).BIRC5 expression levels showed a positive correlation with clinical stage (P = 0.039); compared with those in menopause for over 10 years, patients in menopause for less than 10 years at the time of diagnosis tended to have significantly higher expression of BIRC5 (P = 0.003). VEGF and MMP1 expression levels were not correlated with any of the tested clinicopathological characteristics.

CONCLUSION

VEGF, IGF1, BIRC5, and MMP1 were identified as being associated with VSCC using integrated bioinformatic methods, which may provide important insights into the pathogenesis of this disease and help to identify new biomarkers.

Comprehensive analysis of tumour mutation burden and the immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma

Tumour mutation burden (TMB) and the immune microenvironment (IME) are reportedly associated with immunotherapy responses, but this relationship remains unclear in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We classified HCC patients in the liver hepatocellular carcinoma cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas into low- and high-TMB groups and evaluated differences in immune infiltrates. Additionally, differentially expressed genes in the low- and high-TMB groups were identified, and functional analyses were conducted. A risk score model was constructed based on three differentially expressed immune genes (DEIGs). The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource database was utilized to analyse how the IME was affected by the three hub DEIGs. Finally, a prognostic nomogram combining risk scores and stages was established and externally validated with the International Cancer Genome Consortium and GSE14520 cohorts. High-TMB (top 20%) patients exhibited a worse prognosis (P = 0.017). Follicular helper cells (P = 0.001) and activated natural killer cells (P = 0.003) were enriched in high-TMB patients, while resting dendritic cells (P = 0.002) were enriched in low-TMB samples. A risk score model was generated with three hub DEIGs (CCR7, STC2 and S100A9) to predict overall survival in HCC cohorts. Moreover, copy number variations mainly reduced infiltration levels. The nomogram performed better than the risk score model in the training and validation datasets. Higher TMB was associated with IME diversification and worse prognosis in HCC. Mutations in three hub TMB-associated DEIGs correlated with lower immune cell infiltration.

Prediction of a miRNA-mRNA functional synergistic network for cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) accounts for a significant proportion of cervical cancer; thus, there is a need for novel and noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for this malignancy. In this study, we performed integrated analysis of a dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between CSCC, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and healthy control subjects. We further established protein-protein interaction and DEmiRNA-target gene interaction networks, and performed functional annotation of the target genes of DEmiRNAs. In total, we identified 1375 DEGs and 19 DEmiRNAs in CIN versus normal control, and 2235 DEGs and 33 DEmiRNAs in CSCC versus CIN by integrated analysis. Our protein-protein interaction network indicates that the common DEGs, Cyclin B/cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), CCND1, ESR1 and Aurora kinase A (AURKA), are the top four hub genes. P53 and prostate cancer were identified as significantly enriched signaling pathways of common DEGs and DEmiRNA targets, respectively. We validated that expression levels of three DEGs (TYMS, SASH1 and CDK1) and one DEmiRNA of hsa-miR-99a were altered in blood samples of patients with CSCC. In conclusion, a total of four DEGs (TYMS, SASH1, CDK1 and AURKA) and two DEmiRNAs (hsa-miR-21 and hsa-miR-99a) may be involved in the pathogenesis of CIN and the progression of CIN into CSCC. Of these, TYMS is predicted to be regulated by hsa-miR-99a and SASH1 to be regulated by hsa-miR-21.

Which Low-Abundance Proteins are Present in the Human Milieu of Gamete/Embryo Maternal Interaction?

The improvement of the embryo culture media is of high relevance due to its influence on successful implantation rates, pregnancy, neonatal outcomes, and potential effects in adult life. The ideal conditions for embryo development are those naturally occurring in the female reproductive tract, i.e., the oviductal and uterine fluids. To shed light on the differences between chemical and natural media, we performed the first comparative study of the low abundance proteins in plasma, uterine, and oviductal fluid collected, simultaneously, from healthy and fertile women that underwent a salpingectomy. The rationale for this design derives from the fact that high-abundant proteins in these fluids are usually those coming from blood serum and frequently mask the detection of low abundant proteins with a potentially significant role in specific processes related to the embryo–maternal interaction. The proteomic analysis by 1D-nano LC ESI-MSMS detected several proteins in higher amounts in oviductal fluid when compared to uterine and plasma samples (RL3, GSTA1, EZRI, DPYSL3, GARS, HSP90A). Such oviductal fluid proteins could be a target to improve fertilization rates and early embryo development if used in the culture media. In conclusion, this study presents a high-throughput analysis of female reproductive tract fluids and contributes to the knowledge of oviductal and uterine secretome.

S100A9 promotes the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells by inducing epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and activating the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway

S100 calcium-binding protein A9 (S100A9), a member of the S100 protein family, is often upregulated in various cancers, including cervical cancer. Elevated S100A9 expression is thought to serve an important role in tumorigenesis; however, the exact role of S100A9 in the modulation of cervical cancer and the underlying molecular mechanism remain unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of S100A9 on the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. Our results demonstrated that endogenous expression of S100A9 in SiHa and CaSki cell lines was significantly higher than in the HeLa cell line. As expected, overexpression of S100A9 enhanced the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. In addition, S100A9 overexpression induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as determined by reduced expression levels of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, whereas the expression levels of the mesenchymal marker vimentin were upregulated. Furthermore, it was reported that the effects of S100A9 in the modulation of cervical cancer cells were mediated through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway as β-catenin knockdown significantly suppressed the ability of S100A9 to enhance the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that S100A9 promoted the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the underlying molecular mechanisms may be partially attributed to the induction of EMT and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Molecular Signatures of High-Grade Cervical Lesions

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common neoplasia in women and the infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) is its necessary cause. Screening methods, currently based on cytology and HPV DNA tests, display low specificity/sensitivity, reducing the efficacy of cervical cancer screening programs. Herein, molecular signatures of cervical cytologic specimens revealed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), were tested in their ability to provide a metabolomic screening for cervical cancer. These molecules were tested whether they could clinically differentiate insignificant HPV infections from precancerous lesions. For that, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL)-related metabolites were compared to those of no cervical lesions in women with and without HPV infection. Samples were collected from women diagnosed with normal cervix (N = 40) and from those detected with HSIL from cytology and colposcopy (N = 40). Liquid-based cytology diagnosis, DNA HPV-detection test, and LC-MS analysis were carried out for all the samples. The same sample, in a customized collection medium, could be used for all the diagnostic techniques employed here. The metabolomic profile of cervical cancer provided by LC-MS was found to indicate unique molecular signatures for HSIL, being two ceramides and a sphingosine metabolite. These molecules occurred independently of women’s HPV status and could be related to the pre-neoplastic phenotype. Statistical models based on such findings could correctly discriminate and classify HSIL and no cervical lesion women. The results showcase the potential of LC-MS as an emerging technology for clinical use in cervical cancer screening, although further validation with a larger sample set is still necessary.

Proteomics approaches in cervical cancer: focus on the discovery of biomarkers for diagnosis and drug treatment monitoring

INTRODUCTION

The HPV virus accounts for the majority of cervical cancer cases. Although a diagnostic tool (Pap Test) is widely available, cervical cancer incidence still remains high worldwide, and especially in developing countries, attributed to a large extent to suboptimal sensitivities of the Pap test and unavailability of the test in developing countries.

AREAS COVERED

Proteomics approaches have been used in order to understand the HPV virus correlation to cervical cancer pathology, as well as to discover putative biomarkers for early cervical cancer diagnosis and drug mode of action. Expert commentary: The present review summarizes the latest in vitro and in vivo proteomic studies for the discovery of putative cervical cancer biomarkers and the evaluation of available drugs and treatments.

Proteomic identification of potential biomarkers for cervical squamous cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus infection

It is known that high-risk human papillomavirus infection is the main etiological factor in cervical carcinogenesis. However, human papillomavirus screening is not sufficient for early diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers common to cervical carcinoma and human papillomavirus infection by proteomics for human papillomavirus-based early diagnosis and prognosis. To this end, we collected 76 cases of fresh cervical tissues and 116 cases of paraffin-embedded tissue slices, diagnosed as cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III, or normal cervix from ethnic Uighur and Han women. Human papillomavirus infection by eight oncogenic human papillomavirus types was detected in tissue DNA samples using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein profile of cervical specimens from human papillomavirus 16-positive squamous cell carcinoma and human papillomavirus-negative normal controls was analyzed by proteomics and bioinformatics. The expression of candidate proteins was further determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. We identified 67 proteins that were differentially expressed in human papillomavirus 16-positive squamous cell carcinoma compared to normal cervix. The quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis verified the upregulation of ASAH1, PCBP2, DDX5, MCM5, TAGLN2, hnRNPA1, ENO1, TYPH, CYC, and MCM4 in squamous cell carcinoma compared to normal cervix ( p < 0.05). In addition, the transcription of PCBP2, MCM5, hnRNPA1, TYPH, and CYC was also significantly increased in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III compared to normal cervix. Immunohistochemistry staining further confirmed the overexpression of PCBP2, hnRNPA1, ASAH1, and DDX5 in squamous cell carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II-III compared to normal controls ( p < 0.05). Our data suggest that the expression of ASAH1, PCBP2, DDX5, and hnRNPA1, and possibly MCM4, MCM5, CYC, ENO1, and TYPH, is upregulated during cervical carcinogenesis and potentially associated with human papillomavirus infection. Further validation studies of the profile will contribute to establishing auxiliary diagnostic markers for human papillomavirus-based cancer prognosis.

P21 activated kinase 4 binds translation elongation factor eEF1A1 to promote gastric cancer cell migration and invasion

P21 activated kinase 4 (PAK4), as an effector of Cdc42, playing important roles in regulating the processes of cytoskeleton organization. PAK4 has been considered to be an oncogenic protein, which has strong relationship with gastric cancer metastasis. However, the mechanism of PAK4 in regulating gastric cancer metastasis is still not fully understood. In this study, using yeast two-hybrid system, we identified that the eukaryotic elongation factor 1 α1 (eEF1A1) is a new binding partner of PAK4. The interaction between PAK4 and eEF1A1 was confirmed by GST pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation. PAK4 co-localized with eEF1A1 in the cytoplasm of gastric cancer cells. Overexpression of PAK4 enhanced the expression level of eEF1A1 and vice versa. PAK4 and eEF1A1 could cooperate to promote gastric cancer cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the expression of PAK4 and eEF1A1 in clinical gastric cancer samples were examined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis indicated that there was positive correlation between the expression of PAK4 and eEF1A1. This study demonstrated for the first time that PAK4 interacted with eEF1A1 to promote migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, thereby providing new insights into the function of PAK4 and eEF1A1 in the progression of gastric cancer.

Point-of-care test for cervical cancer in LMICs

Cervical cancer screening using Papanicolaou's smear test has been highly effective in reducing death from this disease. However, this test is unaffordable in low- and middle-income countries, and its complexity has limited wide-scale uptake. Alternative tests, such as visual inspection with acetic acid or Lugol's iodine and human papillomavirus DNA, are sub-optimal in terms of specificity and sensitivity, thus sensitive and affordable tests with high specificity for on-site reporting are needed. Using proteomics and bioinformatics, we have identified valosin-containing protein (VCP) as differentially expressed between normal specimens and those with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (CIN2/CIN3+) or worse. VCP-specific immunohistochemical staining (validated by a point-of-care technology) provided sensitive (93%) and specific (88%) identification of CIN2/CIN3+ and may serve as a critical biomarker for cervical-cancer screening. Future efforts will focus on further refinements to enhance analytic sensitivity and specificity of our proposed test, as well as on prototype development.

Differential proteins among normal cervix cells and cervical cancer cells with HPV-16 infection, through mass spectrometry-based Proteomics (2D-DIGE) in women from Southern México

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide with an estimated 528,000 new cases in 2012. The same year México had an incidence of 13,960 and a mortality of 4769 cases. There are several diagnosis methods of CC; among the most frequents are the conventional Pap cytology (Pap), colposcopy, and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), histopathological examination, tests of imaging and detection of high-risk papilloma virus (HR-HPV) with molecular tests (PCR, hybridization, sequencing). Proteomics is a tool for the detection of new biomarkers that can be associated with clinical stage, histological type, prognosis, and/or response to treatment. In this study we performed a comparative analysis of CC cells with normal cervical cells. The proteomic analysis was carried out with the fluorescent two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) technique to subsequently identify differential protein profiles using Decyder Software, and the selected proteins were identified by Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF).

Results

The proteins that showed an increased expression in cervical cancer in comparison with normal cervix cells were: Mimecan, Actin from aortic smooth muscle and Lumican. While Keratin, type II cytoskeletal 5, Peroxiredoxin-1 and 14-3-3 protein sigma showed a decrease in their protein expression level in cervical cancer in comparison with normal cervix cells.

Conclusions

Thus, this study was successful in identifying biomarker signatures for cervical cancer, and might provide new insights into the mechanism of CC progression.