Identification, prioritization, and evaluation of glycoproteins for aggressive prostate cancer using quantitative glycoproteomics and antibody-based assays on tissue specimens

Prostate cancer is highly heterogeneous in nature; while the majority of cases are clinically insignificant, some cases are lethal. Currently, there are no reliable screening methods for aggressive prostate cancer. Since most established serum and urine biomarkers are glycoproteins secreted or leaked from the diseased tissue, the current study seeks to identify glycoprotein markers specific to aggressive prostate cancer using tissue specimens. With LC-MS/MS glycoproteomic analysis, we identified 350 glycopeptides with 17 being altered in aggressive prostate cancer. ELISA assays were developed/purchased to evaluate four candidates, that is, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), periostin, membrane primary amine oxidase (VAP-1), and cathepsin L, in independent tissue sets. In agreement with the proteomic analysis, we found that COMP and periostin expressions were significantly increased in aggressive prostate tumors while VAP-1 expression was significantly decreased in aggressive tumor. In addition, the expression of these proteins in prostate metastases also follows the same pattern observed in the proteomic analysis. This study provides a workflow for biomarker discovery, prioritization, and evaluation of aggressive prostate cancer markers using tissue specimens. Our data suggest that increase in COMP and periostin and decrease in VAP-1 expression in the prostate may be associated with aggressive prostate cancer.