Prognostic prediction by liver tissue proteomic profiling in patients with colorectal liver metastases

Aim: To obtain proteomic profiles in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) and identify the relationship between profiles and the prognosis of CRLM patients. Materials & methods: Prognosis prediction (favorable or unfavorable according to Fong's score) by a classification and regression tree algorithm of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization TOF–MS proteomic profiles from cryopreserved CRLM (patients) and normal liver tissue (controls). Results: The protein peak 7371 m/z showed the clearest differences between CRLM and control groups (94.1% sensitivity, 100% specificity, p < 0.001). The algorithm that best differentiated favorable and unfavorable groups combined 2970 and 2871 m/z protein peaks (100% sensitivity, 90% specificity). Conclusion: Proteomic profiling in liver samples using classification and regression tree algorithms is a promising technique to differentiate healthy subjects from CRLM patients and to classify the severity of CRLM patients.