Application of Proteomics in Sarcoidosis

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Genomics

Background:

• Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease with varied clinical presentations and prognoses.
• Understanding the molecular underpinnings of sarcoidosis heterogeneity is crucial for targeted therapies.
• Omics technologies, particularly mass spectrometry-based proteomics, offer powerful tools to explore disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of proteomics research in sarcoidosis.
• To highlight mass spectrometry (MS) data acquisition strategies and bioinformatics approaches.
• To discuss biospecimen considerations and summarize key findings from sarcoidosis proteomics studies.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing mass spectrometry (MS) for deep proteome coverage in various biospecimens.
• Employing data-dependent and data-independent acquisition MS modes.
• Applying bioinformatics for spectral data analysis to identify and quantify proteins.

Main Results:

• Identified differentially expressed proteins in BAL fluid, plasma, and exosomes (e.g., complement factors, surfactant proteins).
• Revealed altered protein abundance in sarcoidosis compared to other interstitial lung diseases.
• Detected pathway alterations including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAP kinase, and phagocytosis pathways.

Conclusions:

• Proteomics has identified key proteins and pathways implicated in sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
• Lung compartment proteomic changes are often reflected in blood-based samples.
• This review consolidates current knowledge and future directions for sarcoidosis proteomics.