Power of Proteomics in Linking Oxidative Stress and Female Infertility

Table 1

Proteins identified in relation to endometriosis.

Protein assessed/technique of assessment	Function and site of expression	Source	Association with endometriosis	Population size	Reference
Fibrinogen B peptide/SELDI-TOF-MS	Helps in blood coagulation, regulation of cell adhesion, and spreading.	Plasma	Decreased in endometriosis due to overconsumption and the consequence is adhesion of endometrial fragments.	254 samples from women who underwent laparoscopy with or without pelvic pain. 89 women without endometriosis and 165 with endometriosis	[47]
Afamin/ELISA or 2D-gel electrophoresis	Vitamin E binding protein.	Peritoneal fluid	Increased causing a decrease in antioxidant activity	242 reproductive age women. [65]; 24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women [8]	[8, 69]
Hemopexin/2Dgel electrophoresis	Heme binding protein	Peritoneal fluid	Decreased leading to oxidative stress	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
Inter-alpha inhibitor H4 (ITIH4)/2Dgel electrophoresis	Not clear but involved in acute phase inflammation	Peritoneal fluid	Increased in peritoneal endometriosis.	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
Apolipoprotein A4/2Dgel electrophoresis	Bind lipids to form lipoproteins.	Peritoneal fluid	Decreased in ovarian endometriosis	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
Haptoglobin/2Dgel electrophoresis	Hemoglobin binding protein	Peritoneal fluid	Increased. Removes iron and prevents oxidative stress	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
Vitronectin/2Dgel electrophoresis	Involved in cell migration, adhesion, and invasion.	Peritoneal fluid	Increased	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
SERPINA/2Dgel electrophoresis	Associated with inflammatory outcomes	Peritoneal fluid	Increased and might be a good biomarker	24 samples of peritoneal fluid from symptomatic women	[8]
Superoxide dismutase (SOD)/mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and ELISA	Breakdown of superoxide radical into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen	Follicular fluid	Decreased leading to oxidative stress	91 infertile women who were going to undergo IVF, 23 with endometriosis identified by laparoscopy or ultrasound and 68 infertile due to different reasons (not endometriosis)	[31]
Thioredoxin binding protein 2 (TBP)/ELISA	Binds thioredoxin (TRX) which is an antioxidant	Cells from endometriosis tissue	It was noted that there is an increase in the TRX/TBP in endometriosis patients	66 women 35 with confirmed endometriosis and 31 patients without endometriosis as a control	[70]
Interleukins (IL-6, IL-10, and IL-1B)	Function in the immune system of different cells.	Serum and follicular fluid	Increase in follicular fluid showing immune involvement with the disease	38 patients, 20 with endometriosis, and 18 controls	[71]
Vascular endothelial growth factor/ELISA	Increase in vascular permeability	Peritoneal fluid	Increases in patients with endometriosis	43 patients in reproductive age who were undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for dysmenorrhea or elective laparoscopy for infertility, 19 controls without endometriosis, and 24 patients with endometriosis	[72]
G antigen family B/Mass spectrometry and 2Dgel electrophoresis	Responsible for the androgen-insensitive phenotype	Serum	May effect the level of estrogen and therefore the occurrence of endometriosis	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
Carbonic anhydrase 1/mass spectrometry and 2Dgel electrophoresis	Involved with the process of bio-respiration	Serum	Decreased in patients with endometriosis	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
Actin family proteins (actin related protein 6 and actin-like-7-alpha)/mass spectrometry and 2D-gel electrophoresis	Actin is in the cellular cytoskeleton and involved in mitosis, signal transduction, and motility.	Serum	Differentially expressed in endometriosis	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
CD166 antigen/mass spectrometry and 2D-gel electrophoresis	Cell adhesion molecules that bind to CD6 and might play a role in T and B cell adhesion to leukocytes	Serum	Downregulated causing change in immune function of endometriosis patients	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
CyclinA1/mass spectrometry; and 2D-gel electrophoresis	Controls the cell cycle at G1/S and the G2/M stops	Serum	Differentially expressed	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
Vimentin/mass spectrometry and 2D-gel electrophoresis	A component of the cytoskeleton especially in mesenchymal cells	Serum	Increased in endometriosis tissue as cytoskeletal changes are required	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
B-actin/mass spectrometry and 2D-gel electrophoresis	Component of the cytoskeleton and mediates cell motility and may affect expression of some endometriosis related genes	Serum	Increased as cellular changes occur	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
ATP synthase/mass; spectrometry and 2D gel electrophoresis	The production of ATP from ADP	Serum	Increased as retrograde menstruation requires ATP	12 women of reproductive age, 6 with laparoscopically proven endometriosis and 6 without endometriosis	[73]
Glycodelin/2D-gel electrophoresis	Involved in regulating uterine environment for pregnancy and timing the occurrence of fertilization events	Endometrial tissue	Increased in the eutopic endometrium of patients	24 women undergoing laparoscopy either for endometriosis, elective tubal sterilization, or diagnostic purposes.	[12]
HSP90/2D-gel electrophoresis	Chaperone molecule for the correct folding of proteins	Endometrial tissue	Decreased expression in eutopic endometrium	24 women undergoing laparoscopy either for endometriosis, elective tubal sterilization, or diagnostic purposes	[12]
Annexin A2/2D-gel electrophoresis	Involved in the cytoskeleton and exocytosis	Endometrial tissue	Decreased in patients showing less secretory activity	24 women undergoing laparoscopy either for endometriosis, elective tubal sterilization, or diagnostic purposes.	[12]
Peroxiredoxin/2D-gel electrophoresis	Antioxidant molecules	Endometrial tissue	Altered expression in endometrial tissue	24 women undergoing laparoscopy either for endometriosis, elective tubal sterilization, or diagnostic purposes.	[12]