Proteomic Identification of Heat Shock Proteins in Metastatic Oral Cancer

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Objectives: This study aims to compare the proteins expressed from the tongue cancer with the metastatic lymph nodes, in order to find some alternated proteins which may be the makers of metastasis. Methods: In the present study, cells of human tongue cancer and metastatic lymph nodes were collected by primary culture. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), we compared the proteome of cells from tongue cancer and metastatic lymph nodes. By meanings of mass spectrometry (MS), the different expressed proteins which displayed on the gels were identified. Results: Comparing the 2-DE maps from the tongue cancer with the metastatic lymph nodes, we found that Heat Shock Proteins were over-expressed only in metastatic lymph nodes. Conclusion: The result indicates that Heat Shock Proteins are up-regulated in the metastatic lymph nodes, and Heat Shock Proteins may be of great potential as the biomarker of metastasis of tongue cancer.