PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENTIAL PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN TISSUE AND BLOOD SAMPLES OF MILD TO SEVERE FORMS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS UTILIZING PROTEOMICS

Dr. Roya Rozati*, Dr. Salwa Sahar Azimi, Sara Jabeen, Dr. Aleem Ahmed Khan, Wajeeda Tabasum, Dr. Vikram Aiman Ayapati

Endometriosis is a complex condition characterized by cellular transformations in the body which plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and advancement of the condition. The integration of high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) facilitates the identification of proteins with differential expression in mild to severe forms of disease. Objective: This is the first study conducted in South Indian ethnic patients to compare the differential protein expression in mild to severe forms of endometriosis found in tissue and blood samples of the patients utilizing proteomics as its fundamental methodology. Methods: Twelve women with infertility as an issue have undergone laparoscopic procedures. The analysis included blood samples from six women diagnosed with EM (endometriosis) and six without EM during surgery, both groups having undergone biopsies. The blood sample was collected on the same day of surgery, at a fasting state, and was sent to the laboratory for further analysis of the protein expression in different groups i.e. Endometriosis and control group. Results: We identified seventeen proteins commonly expressed in blood and tissue samples of Endometriosis patients when compared with healthy controls and propose a panel of (A0PJJ2) methyltransferase zinc finger CCCH-type containing 13 (ZC3H13), Signal peptide, CUB, and EGF-like domain-containing proteins (SCUBE 1), Afadin (P55196), proline-rich coiled-coil 2A (PRRC2A) for differentiating women with unexplained Endometriosis from controls by using a decision tree model (accuracy: 0.97). Conclusion: The significantly upregulated proteins found in our study might pave the way in the field of endometriosis research further as potential biomarkers for early identification of the disease and for designing targeted and personalized treatment strategies. We propose that conducting diagnostic tests for both blood and tissue markers could enhance the precision of diagnosing Endometriosis.