Six Biomarkers Expressed Stably in Urinary Exosomes During All Life Stages - As the Reference Markers in Urinary Quantification

BackgroundUrinary extracellular exosomes (uEVs) have been identified as a novel, stable and no-invasive source of biomarkers. However, the potential clinical value of uEVs is limited by the lack of standard quantitative proteomics data. It is necessary to uncover ubiquitous and stable proteins of uEVs as the reference markers in urinary quantification.Samples and methodsThe samples from 210 healthy individuals (3~90 years old), were divided into seven different stages of life. The uEVs samples were identified by LC-MS/MS and data-independent acquisition (DIA) methods. Eight stably expressed uEVs proteins were obtained by bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, 42 samples were used to validate by Western blot, ELISA, and immunofluorescence.ResultsA total of 3,002 proteins and 1,393 co-expression uEVs proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS. The bioinformatics analysis showed 1,393 co-expression proteins mostly enriched in endocytosis. Eight proteins were stably expressed throughout the seven age stages (p<0.05). Furthermore, RAB8A, RAB8B, Semaphorin-5A, Plexin-B2, JAMA, and STUB1 were validated by Western blot. Above all, RAB8A and RAB8B are the most stably expressed proteins in different age stages.ConclusionRAB8A, RAB8B, Semaphorin-5A, Plexin-B2, JAMA, and STUB1 were expressed stably proteins throughout the age stages. These six proteins might be the standard reference markers in the analysis of urine exosomal proteomics. RAB8A and RAB8B have been validated are the putative reference markers.

Semaphorins in Adult Nervous System Plasticity and Disease

Semaphorins, originally discovered as guidance cues for developing axons, are involved in many processes that shape the nervous system during development, from neuronal proliferation and migration to neuritogenesis and synapse formation. Interestingly, the expression of many Semaphorins persists after development. For instance, Semaphorin 3A is a component of perineuronal nets, the extracellular matrix structures enwrapping certain types of neurons in the adult CNS, which contribute to the closure of the critical period for plasticity. Semaphorin 3G and 4C play a crucial role in the control of adult hippocampal connectivity and memory processes, and Semaphorin 5A and 7A regulate adult neurogenesis. This evidence points to a role of Semaphorins in the regulation of adult neuronal plasticity. In this review, we address the distribution of Semaphorins in the adult nervous system and we discuss their function in physiological and pathological processes.

Assessment of the Usefulness of the SEMA5A Concentration Profile Changes as a Molecular Marker in Endometrial Cancer

Background: Semaphorin 5A (SEMA5A) functions not only in the nervous system but also in cancer transformation where its role has not yet been sufficiently studied and described. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the changes in SEMA5A expression in endometrial cancer at various degrees of its differentiation (G1-G3) compared to control. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 45 patients with endometrial cancer at various grades: G1, 17; G2, 15; G3, 13. The control consisted of 15 women without neoplastic changes in the routine gynecological examination. The statistical analysis of immunohistochemical assessment of SEMA5A level was carried out using the Statistica 12 program based on the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn’s post-hoc test (p<0.05). Results: The expression of SEMA5A (optical density) was observed in the control group (Me = 103.43) and in the study group (G1, Me = 140.72; G2, Me = 150.88; G3, Me = 173.77). Differences in expression between each grade and control and between individual grades turned out to be statistically significant (p<0.01). The protein level of SEMA5A expression increased with the decreasing degree of endometrial cancer differentiation. Conclusions: In our research, we indicated the overexpression of SEMA5A protein in endometrial cancer. It is a valuable starting point for further consideration of the role of SEMA5A as a new supplementary molecular marker in endometrial cancer.