RNA-Binding Motif Protein 6 is a Candidate Serum Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose Early diagnosis is crucial to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients (PC). The present study is designed to identify differently expressed peptides involved in PC as potential biomarkers. Experimental Design The serum proteome of 22 PC patients, 12 pancreatitis patients (PP), and 45 healthy controls (HC) are analyzed using magnetic bead-based weak cation exchange (MB-WCX) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Next, a supervised neural network (SNN) algorithm model is established by ClinProTools and the candidate biomarker identified using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Finally, the candidate biomarker is validated in tissue samples. Results The SNN algorithm model discriminates PC from HC with 92.97% sensitivity and 94.55% specificity. Seventy-six differentially expressed peptides are identified, seven of which are significantly different among PC, PP, and HC (p < 0.05). Only one peak (m/z: 1466.99) tends to be upregulated in samples from HC, PP, and PC, which is identified as region of RNA-binding motif protein 6 (RBM6). In subsequent tissue analysis, it is verified that RBM6 expression is significantly higher in PC tissues than paracancerous tissue. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance The results indicate that RBM6 might serve as a candidate diagnostic biomarker for PC. Clinical Relevance Methods used in this study could generate serum peptidome profiles of PC, PP, and HC, and present an approach to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis of this malignancy.