Diagnostic Potential of Tear Proteomic Patterns in Sjögren's Syndrome

Abstract

Histological and functional changes of the lacrimal gland might be reflected in proteomic patterns in tear fluids. In this study, we carried out a determination of the disease biomarkers in tear fluid for Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and a performance of noninvasive diagnostic test based on the proteomic patterns. Thirty-one SS patients and 57 control subjects were enrolled to this study. Their details were 23 cases with primary SS, 8 with secondary SS, 14 with dry eyes, 22 with miscellaneous ocular diseases, and 21 of healthy volunteers. Protein profiling in tear fluids was identified by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). Multiple protein changes were reproducibly detected in the primary SS group, including 10 potential novel biomarkers. Seven of the biomarkers (2094, 2743, 14191, 14702, 16429, 17453, 17792 m/z) were down-regulated and 3 biomarkers (3483, 4972, 10860 m/z) were up-regulated in primary SS group, comparing to the protein profiles of control subjects. When cutoff value of SS down-score was set less than 0.5, this result yielded 87% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The positive predictive value for this sample set was 100%. There was a significant inverse correlation between SS down-scores and epithelial damages of the ocular surface in primary SS patients. These findings support the potential of proteomic pattern technology in tear fluids as the noninvasive diagnostic test for primary SS.

Changes in tear protein profile in keratoconus disease

“…Studies of the tear proteome by electrophoretic separation and MS techniques have permitted an identification of the pattern of tear proteins associated with specific pathological conditions 17,18 and the identification of over 500 proteins whose expression is altered in the pathology. [18][19][20] In the present study, we have employed 2-DE and LC-MS techniques to identify proteins whose expression is altered in the tears of patients with KC.…”

Proteomics in ocular fluids

“…Since a-defensin is known to have an antimicrobial effect, a protective function against secondary infections of corneal lesions in allergic patients could be possible. Tear protein patterns of Sjogren's syndrome patients also showed different upregulated proteins in comparison to healthy controls after a statistical evaluation of the different SELDI measurements [77]. At least ten proteins could be detected as possible biomarkers for Sjogren's in this study.…”

“…A protein profiling study of tears from patients suffering from primary Sjogren's syndrome, a chronic inflammatory disorder of probable autoimmune nature, showed multiple distinct protein changes, including ten potential novel up-and downregulated biomarkers in the primary Sjogren's group [77], that could possibly be used for the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. Toker et al [88] investigated the attendance of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies in tear fluid patients with Sjogren's syndrome and devised the hypothesis of an association with the severity of sicca syndrome.…”

Sjögren’s Syndrome: The Proteomic Approaches

“…However, there was no screening test for the changes in quality of tear components, which should accurately reflect the physiologic state of the lachrymal gland and the level of its function. The first proteomic trial for carrying out a determination of the disease biomarkers in tear fluid for SS was performed by Tomosugi and co-workers (Tomosugi et al, 2005). The authors, using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry, identified 10 potential novel proteins that differed between SS patients and control subjects.…”