Proteomic profiling of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma with magnetic bead-based matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Proteomic techniques are promising strategies in the surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. This study aimed to investigate the serum profiling with magnetic bead （MB） and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight （MALDI-TOF） mass spectrometry （MS） and to further identify the biomarkers for HCC. Serum samples from 80 chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients, 94 HCC concomitant with HBV patients and 24 healthy subjects were examined by MALDI-TOF MS after peptide enrichment on MBs. Based on the genetic algorithm, diagnostic models for HCC were established between 30 HCC patients and 24 healthy subjects/30 CHB patients. Validations were done with the remaining cases. Markers in the models were identified through liquid chromatography （LC）/MS-MS. The three groups were well separated from each other and two discrimination models were established for HCC. The overall recognition capability of these two models was 96.25% and 93.33%, respectively. Validations showed the misdiagnosis ratio for HCC was 1.6% and 23.4%, respectively. The identified biomarkers for HCC included prothrombin precursor （fragment）, calcium-dependent secretion activator 1, Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing protein 6, etc. MB-based MALDI-TOF MS is applicable in identifying the serum biomarkers and can be used in the surveillance of HCC among HBV-infected patients.