Comparative proteomic analysis of membranous nephropathy biopsy tissues using quantitative proteomics

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults and the second leading cause of end-stage renal disease due to primary glomerulonephritis. The aim of the present study was to identify potential biomarkers of MN and further characterize these proteins by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification were used to compare the protein levels in tissues from MN patients and healthy individuals, and the combined samples were subsequently separated by specialized communications exchange. Mass spectrometry data acquisition was conducted using a 4800 Plus MALDI TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry device, and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. A total of 1,903 proteins were identified, with 423 proteins exhibiting a difference of >1.5-fold compared with the control group. Of these, 202 proteins were upregulated, while 221 proteins were downregulated. In conclusion, GO enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed proteins were primarily mapped to the following GO terms: ‘Immune response’, ‘immune effector process’, ‘activation of immune response’ and ‘positive regulation of immune system process’. The affected proteins may be associated with the pathogenesis of MN; thus, may represent candidate MN biomarkers.