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Published on: June 28, 2018
Screening and verification of differentially expressed serum proteins in children with severe adenovirus pneumonia
Zheng-Xiang Gao1,2, Hong Xu2,3,4, Qu Yang5
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Insights
Researchers identified E-selectin as a potential biomarker to distinguish severe from non-severe adenovirus pneumonia in children. This finding aids in early diagnosis and improved clinical management of this common respiratory infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Proteomics and biomarker discovery
- Respiratory viral infections
Background:
- Human adenoviruses cause severe acute respiratory infections, with varied clinical presentations and potential for multi-system damage.
- Early differential diagnosis of adenoviral pneumonia is challenging with current methods.
- Distinguishing severe from non-severe cases in children under 14 is critical for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel protein biomarkers for differentiating severe from non-severe adenovirus pneumonia in children.
- To validate the diagnostic potential of identified biomarkers using clinical samples.
Main Methods:
- Data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative proteomics was employed to screen for differentially expressed proteins (DEPs).
- Potential biomarkers were validated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- Protein-protein interaction networks were analyzed to identify central functional proteins.
Main Results:
- Twenty-seven DEPs were identified between severe and non-severe adenovirus pneumonia cases.
- E-selectin exhibited significantly higher serum levels in severe cases compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- E-selectin demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.92, sensitivity 79.31%, specificity 96.55%) via ROC analysis.
Conclusions:
- E-selectin shows promise as a novel biomarker for identifying severe adenoviral pneumonia in children.
- This discovery can enhance diagnostic capabilities and inform clinical management strategies.
- Further research can explore E-selectin's role in other adenovirus-related complications.
Background:
Human adenoviruses are prevalent pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory infections. The clinical presentation of the adenoviral pneumonia is varied; in severe cases, they may cause systemic multi-system damages. Currently, early clinical differential diagnosis is difficult under the existing testing methods, the study identified potential biomarkers by screening and validating differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and aimed at distinguishing between severe and non-severe adenovirus pneumonia in children aged <14 years.
Methods:
DEPs were identified using data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative proteomics technology, and potential biomarkers were further validated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results:
Twenty-seven identical DEPs were found in patients with severe adenovirus pneumonia. Among these, 10 were downregulated, and 17 were upregulated. In the protein-protein interaction network, five proteins were located at the center of the functional network. Among these, E-selectin showed significantly higher serum expression levels in the severe adenoviral pneumonia group than in adenoviral pneumonia and control groups (p < 0.001). ELISA results were consistent with the proteomic analyses. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for E-selectin revealed a sensitivity of 79.31% and a specificity of 96.55%, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92.
Conclusion:
E-selectin has potential as a novel biomarker for severe adenoviral pneumonia, and offers insights for improved diagnosis and clinical management.
