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Biomedical subjects

Bao-Ling Adam

Publications and source records attributed to Bao-Ling Adam.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Serum protein profile analysis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) protein profiles of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and healthy controls and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of SELDI assay for HNSCC detection before and after treatment. DESIGN: Proteomic analysis and comparison of serum samples. SETTING: Tertiary care academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Seventy-eight patients with HNSCC and 68 healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum samples were prospectively collected from 78 patients with HNSCC and 68 healthy control volunteers. SELDI-TOF-MS was performed on serum samples to identify protein peaks in the range of 0 to 100 kDa. Classification analysis of the spectral data was performed and used to classify the disease status of the patients. RESULTS: The SELDI-TOF-MS assay generated serum protein profiles ranging from 0 to 100 kDa. After background subtraction, mass calibration, and normalization, 545 protein peaks were identified. Classification tree analysis based on peak expression correctly classified patients with HNSCC with 82% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Subgroup analysis correctly classified 83% of oral cavity tumors, 81% of oropharyngeal tumors, and 88% of laryngeal tumors. Pretreatment and posttreatment samples were available from 12 patients, and the posttreatment samples were correctly classified in 86% of the patients at 3 months and 75% of the patients at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Proteomic SELDI-TOF-MS analysis of serum protein profiles distinguishes patients with HNSCC from controls with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Further investigation into the clinical utility of this technology in HNSCC detection and surveillance is warranted.

Adult↗

Proteomic analysis of SUMO4 substrates in HEK293 cells under serum starvation-induced stress.

The substrates of SUMO4, a novel member for the SUMO gene family, were characterized in HEK293 cells cultured under serum starvation by proteomic analysis. We identified 90 SUMO4 substrates including anti-stress proteins such as antioxidant enzymes and molecular chaperones or co-chaperones. The substrates also include proteins involved in the regulation of DNA repair and synthesis, RNA processing, protein degradation, and glucose metabolism. Several SUMO4-associated transcription factors were characterized by Western blot analyses. AP-1 was selected for in vitro conjugation assays to confirm SUMO4 sumoylation of these transcription factors. Further functional analyses of the transcription factors suggested that SUMO4 sumoylation represses AP-1 and AP-2alpha transcriptional activity, but enhances GR DNA binding capacity. These results demonstrate that SUMO4 sumoylation may play an important role in the regulation of intracellular stress.

Cell Line↗

Serum levels of an isoform of apolipoprotein A-II as a potential marker for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: We recently showed that protein expression profiling of serum using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) has potential as a diagnostic approach for detection of prostate cancer. As a parallel effort, we have been pursuing the identification of the protein(s) comprising the individual discriminatory "peaks" and evaluating their utility as potential biomarkers for prostate disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We employed liquid chromatography, gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectroscopy to isolate and identify a protein that correlates with observed SELDI-TOF MS mass/charge (m/z) values. Immunodepletion, immunoassay, and Western analysis were used to verify that the identified protein generated the observed SELDI peak. Subsequent immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of the proteins in prostate tumors. RESULTS: An 8,946 m/z SELDI-TOF MS peak was found to retain discriminatory value in each of two separate data sets with an increased expression in the diseased state. Sequence identification by liquid chromatography-MS/MS and subsequent immunoassays verified that an isoform of apolipoprotein A-II (ApoA-II) is the observed 8,946 m/z SELDI peak. Immunohistochemistry revealed that ApoA-II is overexpressed in prostate tumors. SELDI-based immunoassay revealed that an 8.9-kDa isoform of ApoA-II is specifically overexpressed in serum from individuals with prostate cancer. ApoA-II was also overexpressed in the serum of individuals with prostate cancer who have normal prostate-specific antigen (0-4.0 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: We have identified an isoform of ApoA-II giving rise to an 8.9K m/z SELDI "peak" that is specifically overexpressed in prostate disease. The ability of ApoA-II to detect disease in patients with normal prostate-specific antigen suggests potential utility of the marker in identifying indolent disease.

Apolipoprotein A-II↗

SELDI-TOF MS profiling of serum for detection of the progression of chronic hepatitis C to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Proteomic profiling of serum is an emerging technique to identify new biomarkers indicative of disease severity and progression. The objective of our study was to assess the use of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) to identify multiple serum protein biomarkers for detection of liver disease progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A cohort of 170 serum samples obtained from subjects in the United States with no liver disease (n = 39), liver diseases not associated with cirrhosis (n = 36), cirrhosis (n = 38), or HCC (n = 57) were applied to metal affinity protein chips for protein profiling by SELDI-TOF MS. Across the four test groups, 38 differentially expressed proteins were used to generate multiple decision classification trees to distinguish the known disease states. Analysis of a subset of samples with only hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related disease was emphasized. The serum protein profiles of control patients were readily distinguished from each HCV-associated disease state. Two-way comparisons of chronic hepatitis C, HCV cirrhosis, or HCV-HCC versus healthy had a sensitivity/specificity range of 74% to 95%. For distinguishing chronic HCV from HCV-HCC, a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 76% were obtained. However, when the values of known serum markers alpha fetoprotein, des-gamma carboxyprothrombin, and GP73 were combined with the SELDI peak values, the sensitivity and specifity improved to 75% and 92%, respectively. In conclusion, SELDI-TOF MS serum profiling is able to distinguish HCC from liver disease before cirrhosis as well as cirrhosis, especially in patients with HCV infection compared with other etiologies.

Adult↗

Analysis of Human Proteome Organization Plasma Proteome Project (HUPO PPP) reference specimens using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry: multi-institution correlation of spectra and identification of biomarkers.

We report on a multicenter analysis of HUPO reference specimens using SELDI-TOF MS. Eight sites submitted data obtained from serum and plasma reference specimen analysis. Spectra from five sites passed preliminary quality assurance tests and were subjected to further analysis. Intralaboratory CVs varied from 15 to 43%. A correlation coefficient matrix generated using data from these five sites demonstrated high level of correlation, with values >0.7 on 37 of 42 spectra. More than 50 peaks were differentially present among the various sample types, as observed on three chip surfaces. Additionally, peaks at approximately 9200 and approximately 15,950 m/z were present only in select reference specimens. Chromatographic fractionation using anion-exchange, membrane cutoff, and reverse phase chromatography, was employed for protein purification of the approximately 9200 m/z peak. It was identified as the haptoglobin alpha subunit after peptide mass fingerprinting and high-resolution MS/MS analysis. The differential expression of this protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis. These pilot studies demonstrate the potential of the SELDI platform for reproducible and consistent analysis of serum/plasma across multiple sites and also for targeted biomarker discovery and protein identification. This approach could be exploited for population-based studies in all phases of the HUPO PPP.

Biomarkers↗

Evaluation of serum protein profiling by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the detection of prostate cancer: I. Assessment of platform reproducibility.

BACKGROUND: Protein expression profiling for differences indicative of early cancer has promise for improving diagnostics. This report describes the first stage of a National Cancer Institute/Early Detection Research Network-sponsored multiinstitutional evaluation and validation of this approach for detection of prostate cancer. METHODS: Two sequential experimental phases were conducted to establish interlaboratory calibration and standardization of the surface-enhanced laser desorption (SELDI) instrumental and assay platform output. We first established whether the output from multiple calibrated Protein Biosystem II SELDI-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) instruments demonstrated acceptable interlaboratory reproducibility. This was determined by measuring mass accuracy, resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and normalized intensity of three m/z "peaks" present in a standard pooled serum sample. We next evaluated the ability of the calibrated and standardized instrumentation to accurately differentiate between selected cases of prostate cancer and control by use of an algorithm developed from data derived from a single site 2 years earlier. RESULTS: When the described standard operating procedures were established at all laboratory sites, the across-laboratory measurements revealed a CV for mass accuracy of 0.1%, signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 40%, and normalized intensity of 15-36% for the three pooled serum peaks. This was comparable to the intralaboratory measurements of the same peaks. The instrument systems were then challenged with sera from a selected group of 14 cases and 14 controls. The classification agreement between each site and the established decision algorithm were examined by use of both raw peak intensity boosting and ranked peak intensity boosting. All six sites achieved perfect blinded classification for all samples when boosted alignment of raw intensities was used. Four of six sites achieved perfect blinded classification with ranked intensities, with one site passing the criteria of 26 of 28 correct and one site failing with 19 of 28 correct. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that "between-laboratory" reproducibility of SELDI-TOF-MS serum profiling approaches that of "within-laboratory" reproducibility as determined by measuring discrete m/z peaks over time and across laboratories.

Calibration↗

Enhancement of sensitivity and resolution of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric records for serum peptides using time-series analysis techniques.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of peptide/protein concentrations in biological samples for biomarker discovery commonly uses high-sensitivity mass spectrometers with a surface-processing procedure to concentrate the important peptides. These time-of-flight (TOF) instruments typically have low mass resolution and considerable electronic noise associated with their detectors. The net result is unnecessary overlapping of peaks, apparent mass jitter, and difficulty in distinguishing mass peaks from background noise. Many of these effects can be reduced by processing the signal using standard time-series background subtraction, calibration, and filtering techniques. METHODS: Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) spectra were acquired on a PBS II instrument from blank, hydrophobic, and IMAC-Cu ProteinChip arrays (Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.) incubated with calibration peptide mixtures or pooled serum. TOF data were recorded after single and multiple laser shots at different positions. Correlative analysis was used for time-series calibration. Target filters were used to suppress noise and enhance resolution after baseline removal and noise rescaling. RESULTS: The developed algorithms compensated for the electronic noise attributable to detector overload, removed the baseline caused by charge accumulation, detected and corrected mass peak jitter, enhanced signal amplitude at higher masses, and improved the resolution by using a deconvolution filter. CONCLUSIONS: These time-series techniques, when applied to SELDI-TOF data before any peak identification procedure, can improve the data to make the peak identification process simpler and more robust. These improvements may be applicable to most TOF instrumentation that uses analog (rather than counting) detectors.

Artifacts↗

Computational protein biomarker prediction: a case study for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry pose challenges in computational mathematics and statistics to process the mass spectral data into predictive models with clinical and biological significance. We discuss several classification-based approaches to finding protein biomarker candidates using protein profiles obtained via mass spectrometry, and we assess their statistical significance. Our overall goal is to implicate peaks that have a high likelihood of being biologically linked to a given disease state, and thus to narrow the search for biomarker candidates. RESULTS: Thorough cross-validation studies and randomization tests are performed on a prostate cancer dataset with over 300 patients, obtained at the Eastern Virginia Medical School using SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry. We obtain average classification accuracies of 87% on a four-group classification problem using a two-stage linear SVM-based procedure and just 13 peaks, with other methods performing comparably. CONCLUSIONS: Modern feature selection and classification methods are powerful techniques for both the identification of biomarker candidates and the related problem of building predictive models from protein mass spectrometric profiles. Cross-validation and randomization are essential tools that must be performed carefully in order not to bias the results unfairly. However, only a biological validation and identification of the underlying proteins will ultimately confirm the actual value and power of any computational predictions.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Serum protein profiles to identify head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: New and more consistent biomarkers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are needed to improve early detection of disease and to monitor successful patient management. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new proteomic technology could correctly identify protein expression profiles for cancer in patient serum samples. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry ProteinChip system was used to screen for differentially expressed proteins in serum from 99 patients with HNSCC and 102 normal controls. Protein peak clustering and classification analyses of the surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization spectral data were performed using the Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Patterns software (version 3.0), respectively (Ciphergen Biosystems, Fremont, CA). RESULTS: Several proteins, with masses ranging from 2778 to 20800 Da, were differentially expressed between HNSCC and the healthy controls. The serum protein expression profiles were used to develop and train a classification and regression tree algorithm, which reliably achieved a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 100% in discriminating HNSCC from normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that this technique has potential for the development of a screening test for the detection of HNSCC.

Adult↗

Identification of patients with head and neck cancer using serum protein profiles.

BACKGROUND: New and more consistent biomarkers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are needed to improve early detection of disease and to monitor successful patient management. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a new proteomic technology can correctly identify protein expression profiles for cancer in patient serum samples as well as detect the presence of a known tumor marker. DESIGN: Direct proteomic analysis and comparison. METHODS: The surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF) ProteinChip system was used to screen for differentially expressed proteins in serum samples from 99 patients with HNSCC, 25 "healthy" smokers, and 102 healthy (normal) controls. Protein peak clustering and classification analyses of the SELDI spectral data were performed. RESULTS: Several proteins, with masses ranging from 2778 to 20,800 Da, were differentially expressed between patients with HNSCC and the normal controls. The serum protein expression profiles were used to develop a classification tree algorithm, which achieved a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 90% in discriminating HNSCC from normal and healthy smoker controls. The positive and negative predictive values were 80% and 92%, respectively. A peak with an average mass of 10,068 Da was detected in sera from HNSCC patients and identified as the known biomarker metallopanstimulin-1 (MPS-1), based on mass. Peak relative intensity of the 10,068-Da protein correlated consistently with MPS-1 levels detected by radioimmunoassay in serum samples of HNSCC patients and controls. The 10,068-Da peak was provisionally identified as MPS-1 by SELDI immunoassay. CONCLUSION: We propose that this technique may allow for the development of a reliable screening test for the early detection and diagnosis of HNSCC, as well as the potential identification of tumor biomarkers.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Partially supervised learning using an EM-boosting algorithm.

Training data in a supervised learning problem consist of the class label and its potential predictors for a set of observations. Constructing effective classifiers from training data is the goal of supervised learning. In biomedical sciences and other scientific applications, class labels may be subject to errors. We consider a setting where there are two classes but observations with labels corresponding to one of the classes may in fact be mislabeled. The application concerns the use of protein mass-spectrometry data to discriminate between serum samples from cancer and noncancer patients. The patients in the training set are classified on the basis of tissue biopsy. Although biopsy is 100% specific in the sense that a tissue that shows itself to have malignant cells is certainly cancer, it is less than 100% sensitive. Reference gold standards that are subject to this special type of misclassification due to imperfect diagnosis certainty arise in many fields. We consider the development of a supervised learning algorithm under these conditions and refer to it as partially supervised learning. Boosting is a supervised learning algorithm geared toward high-dimensional predictor data, such as those generated in protein mass-spectrometry. We propose a modification of the boosting algorithm for partially supervised learning. The proposal is to view the true class membership of the samples that are labeled with the error-prone class label as missing data, and apply an algorithm related to the EM algorithm for minimization of a loss function. To assess the usefulness of the proposed method, we artificially mislabeled a subset of samples and applied the original and EM-modified boosting (EM-Boost) algorithms for comparison. Notable improvements in misclassification rates are observed with EM-Boost.

Algorithms↗

A data-analytic strategy for protein biomarker discovery: profiling of high-dimensional proteomic data for cancer detection.

With recent advances in mass spectrometry techniques, it is now possible to investigate proteins over a wide range of molecular weights in small biological specimens. This advance has generated data-analytic challenges in proteomics, similar to those created by microarray technologies in genetics, namely, discovery of 'signature' protein profiles specific to each pathologic state (e.g. normal vs. cancer) or differential profiles between experimental conditions (e.g. treated by a drug of interest vs. untreated) from high-dimensional data. We propose a data-analytic strategy for discovering protein biomarkers based on such high-dimensional mass spectrometry data. A real biomarker-discovery project on prostate cancer is taken as a concrete example throughout the paper: the project aims to identify proteins in serum that distinguish cancer, benign hyperplasia, and normal states of prostate using the Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization (SELDI) technology, a recently developed mass spectrometry technique. Our data-analytic strategy takes properties of the SELDI mass spectrometer into account: the SELDI output of a specimen contains about 48,000 (x, y) points where x is the protein mass divided by the number of charges introduced by ionization and y is the protein intensity of the corresponding mass per charge value, x, in that specimen. Given high coefficients of variation and other characteristics of protein intensity measures (y values), we reduce the measures of protein intensities to a set of binary variables that indicate peaks in the y-axis direction in the nearest neighborhoods of each mass per charge point in the x-axis direction. We then account for a shifting (measurement error) problem of the x-axis in SELDI output. After this pre-analysis processing of data, we combine the binary predictors to generate classification rules for cancer, benign hyperplasia, and normal states of prostate. Our approach is to apply the boosting algorithm to select binary predictors and construct a summary classifier. We empirically evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the resulting summary classifiers with a test dataset that is independent from the training dataset used to construct the summary classifiers. The proposed method performed nearly perfectly in distinguishing cancer and benign hyperplasia from normal. In the classification of cancer vs. benign hyperplasia, however, an appreciable proportion of the benign specimens were classified incorrectly as cancer. We discuss practical issues associated with our proposed approach to the analysis of SELDI output and its application in cancer biomarker discovery.

Algorithms↗

Diagnostic potential of serum proteomic patterns in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: The serum prostate specific antigen test has been widely used in the last decade as an effective screening tool for prostate cancer (CaP). However, the high false-positive rate of the serum prostate specific antigen test necessitates the development of more accurate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CaP. Promising diagnostic potential of serum protein patterns detected by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for CaP has recently been reported. Independent evaluation of this new technology is warranted to realize its translational utility. We determined whether serum protein profiling by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry and a decision tree algorithm classification system could accurately discriminate between patients with CaP and unaffected individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proteomic spectra of crude serum were generated using the Ciphergen ProteinChip System and pattern detection was performed using Biomarker Patterns Software (Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc., Fremont, California). A total of 106 patients with CaP and 56 controls were randomly allocated to a training set and a test set. The training set, which consisted of 44 patients with cancer and 30 controls, was used to build a decision tree algorithm. The test set, which consisted of 62 patients with cancer and 26 controls, was used in blinded fashion to validate the decision tree. RESULTS: Accuracy of classification using the test set was 67% and 42% for the weak cation exchange array and the copper metal affinity capture array, respectively. Combined spectral data from the weak cation exchange and copper metal affinity capture arrays generated an algorithm that achieved 85% sensitivity and 85% specificity for the detection of CaP. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings support recent observations that complex protein profiles have promising potential for the early detection of CaP and warrant future studies with streamlined technology. Furthermore, the combined effect of using 2 array types can greatly enhance the ability of protein profile patterns, suggesting the potential usefulness of alternative approaches to evaluate this new emerging technology.

Algorithms↗

Data reduction using a discrete wavelet transform in discriminant analysis of very high dimensionality data.

We present a method of data reduction using a wavelet transform in discriminant analysis when the number of variables is much greater than the number of observations. The method is illustrated with a prostate cancer study, where the sample size is 248, and the number of variables is 48,538 (generated using the ProteinChip technology). Using a discrete wavelet transform, the 48,538 data points are represented by 1271 wavelet coefficients. Information criteria identified 11 of the 1271 wavelet coefficients with the highest discriminatory power. The linear classifier with the 11 wavelet coefficients detected prostate cancer in a separate test set with a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 100%.

Data Compression↗

An Automated Peak Identification/Calibration Procedure for High-Dimensional Protein Measures From Mass Spectrometers.

Discovery of "signature" protein profiles that distinguish disease states (eg, malignant, benign, and normal) is a key step towards translating recent advancements in proteomic technologies into clinical utilities. Protein data generated from mass spectrometers are, however, large in size and have complex features due to complexities in both biological specimens and interfering biochemical/physical processes of the measurement procedure. Making sense out of such high-dimensional complex data is challenging and necessitates the use of a systematic data analytic strategy. We propose here a data processing strategy for two major issues in the analysis of such mass-spectrometry-generated proteomic data: (1) separation of protein "signals" from background "noise" in protein intensity measurements and (2) calibration of protein mass/charge measurements across samples. We illustrate the two issues and the utility of the proposed strategy using data from a prostate cancer biomarker discovery project as an example.

Journal Article↗

Serum protein fingerprinting coupled with a pattern-matching algorithm distinguishes prostate cancer from benign prostate hyperplasia and healthy men.

The prostate-specific antigen test has been a major factor in increasing awareness and better patient management of prostate cancer (PCA), but its lack of specificity limits its use in diagnosis and makes for poor early detection of PCA. The objective of our studies is to identify better biomarkers for early detection of PCA using protein profiling technologies that can simultaneously resolve and analyze multiple proteins. Evaluating multiple proteins will be essential to establishing signature proteomic patterns that distinguish cancer from noncancer as well as identify all genetic subtypes of the cancer and their biological activity. In this study, we used a protein biochip surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry approach coupled with an artificial intelligence learning algorithm to differentiate PCA from noncancer cohorts. Surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry protein profiles of serum from 167 PCA patients, 77 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia, and 82 age-matched unaffected healthy men were used to train and develop a decision tree classification algorithm that used a nine-protein mass pattern that correctly classified 96% of the samples. A blinded test set, separated from the training set by a stratified random sampling before the analysis, was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the classification system. A sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 97%, and a positive predictive value of 96% for the study population and 91% for the general population were obtained when comparing the PCA versus noncancer (benign prostate hyperplasia/healthy men) groups. This high-throughput proteomic classification system will provide a highly accurate and innovative approach for the early detection/diagnosis of PCA.

Aged↗

Normal, benign, preneoplastic, and malignant prostate cells have distinct protein expression profiles resolved by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to discover protein biomarkers that differentiate malignant from nonmalignant cell populations, especially early protein alterations that signal the initiation of a developing cancer. We hypothesized that Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry-assisted protein profiling could detect these protein alterations. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Epithelial cell populations [benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and prostate cancer (PCA)] were procured from nine prostatectomy specimens using laser capture microdissection. Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry analysis was performed on cell lysates, and the relative intensity levels of each protein or peptide in the mass spectra was calculated and compared for each cell type. RESULTS: Several small molecular mass peptides or proteins (3000-5000 Da) were found in greater abundance in PIN and PCA cell lysates. Another peak, with an average mass of 5666 Da, was observed to be up-regulated in 86% of the BPH cell lysates. Higher levels of this same peak were found in only 22% of the PIN lysates and none of the PCA lysates. Expression differences were also found for intracellular levels of prostate-specific antigen, which were reduced in PIN and PCA cells when compared with matched normals. Although no single protein alteration was observed in all PIN/PCA samples, combining two or more of the markers was effective in distinguishing the benign cell types (normal/BPH) from diseased cell types (PIN/PCA). Logistic regression analysis using seven differentially expressed proteins resulted in a predictive equation that correctly distinguished the diseased lysates with a sensitivity and specificity of 93.3 and 93.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that the protein profiles from prostate cells with different disease states have discriminating differences. These differentially regulated proteins are potential markers for early detection and/or risk factors for development of prostate cancer. Studies are under way to identify these protein/peptides, with the goal of developing a diagnostic test for the early detection of prostate cancer.

Adult↗

Boosted decision tree analysis of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectral serum profiles discriminates prostate cancer from noncancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The low specificity of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test makes it a poor biomarker for early detection of prostate cancer (PCA). Because single biomarkers most likely will not be found that are expressed by all genetic forms of PCA, we evaluated and developed a proteomic approach for the simultaneous detection and analysis of multiple proteins for the differentiation of PCA from noncancer patients. METHODS: Serum samples from 386 men [197 with PCA, 92 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 96 healthy individuals], randomly divided into training (n = 326) and test (n = 60) sets, were analyzed by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) mass spectrometry. The 124 peaks detected by computer analyses were analyzed in the training set by a boosting tree algorithm to develop a classifier for separating PCA from the noncancer groups. The classifier was then challenged with the test set (30 PCA samples, 15 BPH samples, 15 samples from healthy men) to determine the validity and accuracy of the classification system. RESULTS: Two classifiers were developed. The AdaBoost classifier completely separated the PCA from the noncancer samples, achieving 100% sensitivity and specificity. The second classifier, the Boosted Decision Stump Feature Selection classifier, was easier to interpret and used only 21 (compared with 74) peaks and a combination of 21 (vs 500) base classifiers to achieve a sensitivity and specificity of 97% for the test set. CONCLUSIONS: The high sensitivity and specificity achieved in this study provides support of the potential for SELDI, coupled with a bioinformatics learning algorithm, to improve the early detection/diagnosis of PCA.

Algorithms↗