Assessment of protein profile in vitreous samples of patients with epiretinal membrane by proteomic approaches

Abstract

This study aims to characterize idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) using proteomic analysis to enhance diagnosis and treatment strategies. In a prospective case-control clinical trial, vitreous fluids (VF) from twelve iERM patients were collected during surgery and analyzed by 2DE-based MALDI TOF-TOF MS/MS. PANTHER and STRING analyses were performed to investigate the biological relationships between the identified proteins and to determine relevant cellular pathways. A total of 148 proteins were identified, including 24 that were unique to iERM. Grouping the proteins by biological processes revealed that most were involved in cell adhesion (n = 6), proteolysis (n = 10), and complement activation (n = 8). Compared to control VF, 12 proteins were upregulated and 12 downregulated in iERM VF, with the differentially expressed proteins strongly associated with inflammation. Proteomic analysis highlighted complement and inflammatory proteins as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for iERM. Given that inflammation and fibrosis play critical roles in iERM, further investigation into these differential proteins holds significant clinical relevance. Despite the challenge of recruiting suitable patients, we believe the results of this study provide a valuable foundation for future research.