Serum Proteomics Analysis of Patients with Ascending Aortic Dilation

Ascending aortic dilation (AAD) is a complex and life-threatening condition, representing a significant risk factor for acute aortic syndromes. Due to its asymptomatic nature, early diagnosis is frequently missed. Serum diagnostic biomarkers play a crucial role in disease diagnosis, and proteomics offers a valuable approach for identifying such biomarkers in blood samples. In this study, we collected serum samples from patients with AAD, thoracic ascending aortic dissection (TAAD), and healthy controls, using label-free proteomics to identify serum proteins. Differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified between AAD, TAAD, and control groups. Functional analysis of DAPs was performed using the GO and KEGG databases. Compared to controls, 40 DAPs were found in AAD and 52 in dissection. Further analysis showed that the DAPs in AAD are involved in biological processes such as antibacterial humoral response, nucleosome assembly, and inflammatory response, while the DAPs in TAAD are involved in protein localization to CENP-A containing chromatin and negative regulation of megakaryocyte differentiation, etc. The protein expression profiles of TAAD and AAD were directly compared, leading to the identification of 37 DAPs. GO and KEGG analyses were also performed on these proteins. A significant overlap in protein expression was observed between AAD and dissection. Additionally, NUP188 was significantly down-regulated in AAD, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggests it may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for AAD.