Characteristic proteins in the plasma of postoperative colorectal and liver cancer patients with Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome

// Qing Ji 1, 2, * , Wenhai Wang 3, * , Yunquan Luo 4, * , Feifei Cai 1 , Yiyu Lu 1 , Wanli Deng 2 , Qi Li 2 and Shibing Su 1 1 Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China 2 Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated Baoshan Branch, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201901, China 4 Department of Liver and Gallbladder surgery, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Shibing Su, email: shibingsu07@163.com Qi Li, email: Lzwf@hotmail.com Keywords: systems biology, proteomics, traditional Chinese medicine, colorectal cancer, liver cancer Received: August 22, 2017      Accepted: September 22, 2017      Published: October 11, 2017 ABSTRACT Systems biology and bioinformatics provide the feasibility for the basic research associated with “same traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome in different diseases”. In this study, the plasma proteins in postoperative colorectal (PCC) and postoperative liver cancer (PLC) patients with YDLKS (Yin deficiency of liver-kidney syndrome) were screened out using iTRAQ combined with LC-MS/MS technology. The results demonstrated that, KNG1, AMBP, SERPING1, etc, were all differentially expressed in both PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS, and associated closely with complement and coagulation cascades pathway. C7 and C2 were another two representative factors involving in former pathway. Further validation showed that, the C7 levels were increased significantly in PLC ( P < 0.05) and PCC ( P < 0.05) with YDLKS group compared to those of NS (no obvious TCM syndromes) group. The AMBP levels were down-regulated significantly in PLC with YDLKS group compared to those of PCC with YDLKS group ( P < 0.05). The significant differences of SERPING1 levels (and C2 levels) were shown between YDLKS and NS in PCC ( P < 0.01). There were also significant differences of C2 levels between PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS ( P < 0.05). Moreover, significant differences of C2 levels were also found between PLC and PCC patients with YDLKS ( P < 0.01). ROC curves indicated that, C7 and SERPING1 independently had a potential diagnostic value in distinguishing YDLKS from NS in PLC and PCC, providing the evidences for the material basis of “same TCM syndrome in different diseases” in PCC and PLC patients with YDLKS.