Proteomic analyses of amniotic fluid: potential applications in health and diseases

Amniotic fluid (AF) is a potential source of biomarkers for many disorders which may occur during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the place of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) technologies to compare AF in both normal and pathological situations. Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE; Ettan DIGE) as well as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and silver staining followed by image analysis were used. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. This approach was used to study electrophoregrams of normal AF obtained at 17 weeks of gestation and at term, as well as AF from fetuses presenting with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Finally, the potential of two-dimensional electrophoresis was assessed by studying the protein profile of plasma containing AF proteins in a model of premature rupture of the membranes (PROM). Our results clearly show that two-dimensional electrophoresis technologies still have place for analyzing biological fluids such as AF.