Plasma proteome profiles of standard-risk and high-risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BACKGROUND: This exploratory study aimed to characterize plasma proteome profiles across different risk groups and investigate underlying molecular mechanisms using bioinformatics approaches. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a case-control study. Plasma samples from 15 children per group- standard-risk B-ALL (B-ALL SR), high-risk B-ALL (B-ALL HR), high-risk T-ALL (T-ALL HR) and controls were pooled. LC-MS/MS was used for proteome analysis. Dynein axonemal heavy chain 5 (DYH5) was selected for preliminary validation using ELISA in individual samples. Pearson correlation was applied descriptively to compare pooled proteomic patterns. Gene Ontology, KEGG, and Reactome analyses were conducted to identify underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: The identified DEPs may play a role in cALL. DYH5 showed a consistent trend between proteomic and ELISA analyses and is presented as a preliminary candidate biomarker requiring further validation. A positive correlation between pooled proteomic profiles of B-ALL SR and B-ALL HR was observed; however, this represents descriptive similarity rather than biological inference. Bioinformatics analysis showed that oxidative stress, epigenetics, and MAPK signaling are common across all risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory proteomic study provides preliminary insights into protein expression patterns across cALL risk groups. The findings require validation in larger cohorts using individual samples to establish clinical relevance.