Frontiers in Immunology (Mar 2023)

Global-feature of autoimmune glomerulonephritis using proteomic analysis of laser capture microdissected glomeruli

  • Jingjing Dong,
  • Jingjing Dong,
  • Fengping Zheng,
  • Fengping Zheng,
  • Fanna Liu,
  • Jingquan He,
  • Shanshan Li,
  • Wenjun Pu,
  • Huixuan Xu,
  • Zhifeng Luo,
  • Shizhen Liu,
  • Lianghong Yin,
  • Donge Tang,
  • Yong Dai,
  • Yong Dai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1131164
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

Read online

BackgroundIgA nephropathy (IgAN), (LN), membranous nephropathy (MN), and minimal change nephropathy (MCN) are all belonged to autoimmune glomerulonephritis. This study aimed to identify the specific proteomic characteristics of the four GNs diseases in order to provide frameworks for developing the appropriate drug for patients diagnosed with GNs disease.MethodsLiquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was utilized to investigate proteomic features of glomerular tissues obtained by laser capture microdissection (LCM). 8 normal control cases, 11 IgAN cases, 19 LN cases, 5 MN cases, and 3 MCN cases in this study were selected for bioinformatics analyses.ResultsThe shared overlapping proteins among the top 100 DEPs of each GNs type were mostly downregulated, in which only FLII was significantly downregulated in the four GNs diseases. A2M was significantly upregulated in MN, IgAN, and LN subgroups. The pathway of complement and coagulation cascades was notably activated with NES value ranging 2.77 to 3.39 among MCN, MN, IgAN, and LN diseases, but the pattern of protein expression level were significantly different. In LN patients, the increased activity of complement and coagulation cascades was contributed by the high expression of multiple complements (C1QB, C3, C4A, C4B, C6, C8B, C8G, C9). Meanwhile, both C1QC and C4B were remarkably upregulated in MN patients. On the contrary, complement-regulating proteins (CD59) was substantially decreased in MCN and IgAN subgroup.ConclusionsThe integrative proteomics analysis of the four GNs diseases provide insights into unique characteristics of GNs diseases and further serve as frameworks for precision medicine diagnosis and provide novel targets for drug development.

Keywords