Proteomic identification of human serum biomarkers in diabetes mellitus type 2.

Discovery of protein biomarkers in different diseases is an important area of research in the field of proteomics. We have described the levels of protein biomarkers specific to diabetes mellitus type 2 in the local population of Pakistan using proteomic technology. Type 2 diabetic patients, age and sex-matched normal healthy controls were recruited from Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Plasma proteins were analysed by 2D liquid chromatographic system in which samples were initially fractionated by chromatofocusing and the selected fractions were further analysed by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The proteins which showed variation between test and control samples were identified by MALDI-TOF analysis. All the samples belonging to the control and diabetic groups were then analyzed by ELISA and estimated four proteins which were found to vary. Levels of apolipoprotein A-I was found to decrease by -6.4% while apolipoprotein E, leptin and C reactive protein (CRP) were increased by +802, +842 and +872%, respectively, in the diabetic patients as compared to the controls. The discovery of these marker proteins might thus provide an adjunctive method for early detection of risk for this disease.