The differential proteome profile of stomach cancer: identification of the biomarker candidates.

By comparative proteome analysis we searched for characteristic alterations of human stomach adenocarcinoma tissue and paired surrounding normal tissue. Selected differential protein spots were identified with peptide mass fingerprinting based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and database searching. We identified protein alterations in 18 stomach cancer tissues compared with normal controls, comprising elevated levels of eight proteins, including 14-3-3 zeta, calcyclin, keratin, apolipoprotein A-1 precursor, proteasome activator complex subunit, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, and pyridoxal kinase. Five proteins (CA11, prohibitin, peroxiredoxin 4, serum amyloid P component, and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 23 kDa subunit) were decreased. These data are valuable for identification of differentially expressed proteins involved in stomach cancer carcinogenesis, providing biomarker candidates to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools.