In-Bum Suh

Label-free and quantitative analysis of C-reactive protein in human sera by tagged-internal standard assay on antibody arrays.

We have developed a new, high-throughput, competition-based tagged-internal standard (TIS) assay to measure the levels of blood proteins in human serum. In this assay, target proteins in the sample serum compete with tagged-internal standard proteins for binding to an antibody array. Antibody arrays are fabricated by immobilizing a target protein-specific antibody on the carboxylate-modified latex bead surface of well-type arrays. A solution of Alexa 546-conjugated target protein is added to a sample of human serum and applied to the well-type antibody array. The array is then analyzed with a fluorescence scanner and the level of unlabeled target protein in the human sera is inferred from the amount of tagged protein bound to the array. We successfully applied this assay to measure the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in 92 unlabeled human sera. The TIS assay was found to be specific and reproducible for the quantitative analysis of CRP. The antibody array data from the TIS assay correlate well with clinical laboratory data obtained using the commercialized latex-enhanced turbidimetry immunoassay (n=3, r=0.967, CV=0.32%). Thus, the antibody array-based TIS assay system is high-throughput, quantitative, and label-free and may be useful in the rapid serodiagnosis of human disease.

Co‐localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase and phosphorylated Akt in the lesional skins of patients with melasma

Activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)/nitric oxide (NO) pathway in keratinocytes has been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of melanogenesis. Akt activation plays an important role in the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)‐κB and subsequent elevation of iNOS expression. In the present study, we highly detected both iNOS protein and Akt phosphorylation in keratinocytes of the basal layer of the epidermis at the junction with the dermis of melasma skin biopsy specimens, but not in normal skin tissues, from nine patients using immunohistological analysis. iNOS protein and phosphorylated Akt were co‐localized in the lesional skins, and their levels were highly correlated (R2 = 0.69). Furthermore, iNOS mRNA was also detected in an additional three skin biopsy specimens, but not in normal skin, by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our results describe that iNOS expression is elevated in human melasma lesions, probably via activation of the Akt/NF‐κB pathway, indicating that NO production plays an important role in the mechanism of hyperpigmentation in human facial melasma.

High-throughput analysis of mumps virus and the virus-specific monoclonal antibody on the arrays of a cationic polyelectrolyte with a spectral SPR biosensor

We investigated the potential use of a spectral surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor in a high‐throughput analysis of mumps virus and a mumps virus‐specific mAb on the arrays of a cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). The PDDA surface was constructed by electrostatic adsorption of the polyelectrolyte onto a monolayer of 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA). Poly‐L‐lysine was also adsorbed onto the MUA monolayer and compared with the PDDA surface in the capacity of mumps virus immobilization. The PDDA surface showed a higher adsorption of mumps virus than the poly‐L‐lysine surface. The SPR signal caused by the virus binding onto the PDDA surface was proportional to the concentration of mumps virus from 0.5u2004×u2004105 to 14u2004×u2004105u2004pfu/mL. The surface structure of the virus arrays was visualized by atomic force microscopy. Then, a dose‐dependent increase in the SPR signal was observed when various concentrations of the antimumps virus antibody in buffer or human serum were applied to the virus arrays, and their interaction was specific. Thus, it is likely that the spectral SPR biosensor based on the cationic polyelectrolyte surface may provide an efficient system for a high‐throughput analysis of intact virus and serodiagnosis of infectious diseases.

Rapid determination of blood coagulation factor XIII activity using protein arrays for serodiagnosis of human plasma.

We developed a novel on-chip assay using protein arrays for quantitative and rapid analysis of blood coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) activity in human plasma. FXIII is activated by concerted action of thrombin and Ca(2+) and plays essential roles in hemostasis, angiogenesis, and wound healing. We fabricated protein arrays by immobilizing fibrinogen onto the 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane layer of well-type arrays and determined FXIII activity by analyzing biotinylated fibrinogen with Cy3-conjugated streptavidin. We determined optimal concentrations of Ca(2+), thrombin, and 5-(biotinamido)pentylamine (BAPA) for the on-chip activity assay, and the detection limit was 0.01 Lowey U/mL (9.9 pM). Using the on-chip activity assay, hepatocellular carcinoma patients (n = 24), but not hepatitis (n = 24) or liver cirrhosis patients (n = 41), had significantly lower FXIII activities (p < 0.001) than normal individuals (n = 41), indicating that FXIII activity is a possible diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, we have successfully used this activity assay to reveal individual variations (37-57%, n = 65) in the inhibition rate of FXIII activity by isoniazid, the first-line antituberculosis agent. Thus, our optimized on-chip FXIII activity assay provides a quantitative and high-throughput approach to investigating the role(s) of FXIII in human diseases. Moreover, it has a strong potential to be applied toward FXIII-related personalized medicines.

Normalization using a tagged-internal standard assay for analysis of antibody arrays and the evaluation of serological biomarkers for liver disease

For minimizing systemic experimental variation in the analysis of antibody array data, we developed a novel median-centered/IgM-tagged-internal standard (TIS) assay normalization using median-centering and TIS assay-based determination of serum IgM concentrations. We evaluated five normalization methods by analyzing correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation for six serum proteins using human serum samples from normal controls (n=25) and patients with liver cirrhosis (n=25) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n=29). Median-centered normalization improved correlation coefficients, while IgM-based normalizations improved coefficients of variation. The TIS assay was more efficient, economical, and reproducible for determining IgM concentrations than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, we normalized antibody array data for six serum proteins using the median-centered/IgM-TIS assay, and evaluated serum biomarkers through distribution analysis of normalized fluorescence intensities and receiver operating characteristic analyses for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and HCC. Apolipoprotein A-1 and a combination of alpha-fetoprotein and C-reactive protein were determined to be potential serological biomarkers for liver cirrhosis and HCC, respectively. Thus, median-centered/IgM-TIS assay normalization is a useful approach for analyzing antibody array data and evaluating serological biomarkers for the diagnosis of liver disease or cancers.

Sequence polymorphisms of Plasmodium vivax ookinete surface proteins (Pvs25 and Pvs28) from clinical isolates in Korea

The Ookinete surface proteins of Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax), Pvs25 and Pvs28, were candidates for the transmission blocking vaccine (TBV), which exhibited great antigenic diversities among various isolates. Polymorphisms of these genes in the isolates from Republic of Korea (ROK) were analysed, which provided valuable baseline data for the field trials of TBV‐based vaccines. A total of 98 isolates were collected over 11u2003years from 1996 to 2007. pvs25 and pvs28 genes from the above isolates were amplified, sequenced and compared against Sal‐1 strain. Sequencing analysis of PCR products from P. vivax pvs25 revealed two allelic types, Q97T130 and E97/T130 alleles with the frequencies of 54.5% and 45.5%, respectively, in comparison with Sal I type sequence (E97/I130). From pvs28 gene, polymorphisms at M52L and T140S in the first and third EGF‐like domains in comparison to Sal‐1 strain were detected, respectively. Six GSGGE tandem repeats followed by GSGGDT or SSGGDT were identified at the end of the fourth EGF‐like domain in all Korean isolates. Interestingly, different tandem repeats of amino acid substitutions were observed from isolates collected after 2006 in comparison with preceding years. The ROK isolates revealed limited sequence polymorphisms in pvs25 and tandem repeats in pvs28 in comparison with reported isolates from other nations. Current observations suggested the rapid progresses of genetic changes among Korean isolates.

C-reactive protein as a parameter for defining normal blood samples in identification and evaluation of serological biomarkers

Selecting normal control samples is critical for the identification and evaluation of serum biomarker proteins; however, currently few inclusion parameters have been identified. In this paper, we investigated whether serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are a suitable inclusion parameter to define normal controls. We analyzed serum α-fetoprotein (AFP), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and fibronectin expression levels from normal individuals (n=97) and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (n=36), lung cancer (n=50), and colorectal cancer (n=30). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the biomarker proteins was performed using four different control groups (C1–C4) with increasing serum CRP levels. The biomarker expression levels were higher in all three sets of cancer patients when compared with control groups C1 through C3. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity values of the biomarkers dramatically decreased with increasing CRP levels in the control groups. These results suggest that the serum CRP level affects downstream ROC analysis, and that CRP levels could be used as a control inclusion parameter to define normal samples for identifying and evaluating serum cancer biomarkers.

Identification of 10 Candidate Biomarkers Distinguishing Tuberculous and Malignant Pleural Fluid by Proteomic Methods

Purpose Pleural effusion, an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, usually occurs in patients when the rate of fluid formation exceeds the rate of fluid removal. The differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy and malignant pleural effusion is a difficult task in high tuberculous prevalence areas. The aim of the present study was to identify novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of pleural fluid using proteomics technology. Materials and Methods We used samples from five patients with transudative pleural effusions for internal standard, five patients with tuberculous pleurisy, and the same numbers of patients having malignant effusions were enrolled in the study. We analyzed the proteins in pleural fluid from patients using a technique that combined two-dimensional liquid-phase electrophoresis and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Results We identified a total of 10 proteins with statistical significance. Among 10 proteins, trasthyretin, haptoglobin, metastasis-associated protein 1, t-complex protein 1, and fibroblast growth factor-binding protein 1 were related with malignant pleural effusions and human ceruloplasmin, lysozyme precursor, gelsolin, clusterin C complement lysis inhibitor, and peroxirexdoxin 3 were expressed several times or more in tuberculous pleural effusions. Conclusion Highly expressed proteins in malignant pleural effusion were associated with carcinogenesis and cell growth, and proteins associated with tuberculous pleural effusion played a role in the response to inflammation and fibrosis. These findings will aid in the development of novel diagnostic tools for tuberculous pleurisy and malignant pleural effusion of lung cancer.