Proteomic analysis of sialoliths from calcified, lipid and mixed groups as a source of potential biomarkers of deposit formation in the salivary glands

Salivary stones, also known as sialoliths, are formed in a pathological situation in the salivary glands. So far, neither the mechanism of their formation nor the factors predisposing to their formation are known despite several hypotheses. While they do not directly threaten human life, they significantly deteriorate the patient’s quality of life. Although this is not a typical research material, attempts are made to apply various analytical tools to characterise sialoliths and search for the biomarkers in their proteomes. In this work, we used mass spectrometry and SWATH-MS qualitative and quantitative analysis to investigate the composition and select proteins that may contribute to solid deposits in the salivary glands. Twenty sialoliths, previously characterized spectroscopically and divided into the following groups: calcified (CAL), lipid (LIP) and mixed (MIX), were used for the study. Proteins unique for each of the groups were found, including: for the CAL group among them, e.g. proteins from the S100 group (S100 A8/A12 and P), mucin 7 (MUC7), keratins (KRT1/2/4/5/13), elastase (ELANE) or stomatin (STOM); proteins for the LIP group—transthyretin (TTR), lactotransferrin (LTF), matrix Gla protein (MPG), submandibular gland androgen-regulated protein 3 (SMR3A); mixed stones had the fewest unique proteins. Bacterial proteins present in sialoliths have also been identified. The analysis of the results indicates the possible role of bacterial infections, disturbances in calcium metabolism and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the formation of sialoliths. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12014-023-09402-3.