Proteome Analysis of Isolated Perfused Organ Effluent as a Novel Model for Protein Biomarker Discovery

The discovery of novel serological biomarkers is
critical for improving disease diagnosis and monitoring
treatment response. Proteomic analysis of model systems, such as isolated cells in culture and patient plasma
and serum, represents the current state-of-the-art. Here,
we coupled proteomics with isolated organ perfusion,
which allows a disease state to be studied in a physiologic, yet controlled, environment. Potential markers
specific to the disease or to changes in the surrounding
tissue may be discovered. The effectiveness of this model
was evaluated using proteomic analysis of effluent fractions collected from isolated beating rat hearts during
reperfusion after brief episodes of ischemia. The detection
of clinical markers for myocardial ischemia in this effluent
was robust and analytically straightforward, validating the
potential of isolated organ perfusion in diagnostic protein
discovery.
Keywords: proteomics • myocardial ischemia • isolated organ
perfusion • biomarker