Proteomic analysis of stage i endometrial cancer tissue: Identification of proteins associated with oxidative processes and inflammation

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins employing a high resolution mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis of endometrial cancer cells harvested using laser microdissection. Methods A differential MS-based proteomic analysis was conducted from discrete epithelial cell populations gathered by laser microdissection from 91 pathologically reviewed stage I endometrial cancer tissue samples (79 endometrioid and 12 serous) and 10 samples of normal endometrium from postmenopausal women. Hierarchical cluster analysis of protein abundance levels derived from a spectral count analysis revealed a number of proteins whose expression levels were common as well as unique to both histologic types. An independent set of endometrial cancer specimens from 394 patients were used to externally validate the differential expression of select proteins. Results 209 differentially expressed proteins were identified in a comparison of stage I endoimetrial cancers and normal post-menopausal endometrium controls (Q Conclusions These data provide the basis for further investigation of previously unrecognized novel pathways involved in early stage endometrial carcinogenesis and provide possible targets for prevention strategies that are inclusive of both endometrioid and serous histologic subtypes.