Calorimetry outside the box: a new window into the plasma proteome

Differential scanning calorimetry provides a new window into the plasma proteome. Plasma from normal individuals yields a characteristic, reproducible thermogram that appears to represent the weighted sum of denaturation profiles of the most abundant constituent plasma proteins. Plasma from diseased individuals yields dramatically different signature thermograms. Thermograms from individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and Lyme disease were measured. Each disease appears to have a distinctive and characteristic thermogram. The difference in thermograms between normal and diseased individuals is not caused by radical changes in the concentrations of the most abundant plasma proteins but rather appears to result from interaction of as yet unknown biomarkers with the major plasma proteins. These results signal a novel use for calorimetry as a diagnostic tool.