Detecting Blood Clots with Serum Proteins
Author Information
Author(s): Ganesh Santhi K., Sharma Yugal, Dayhoff Judith, Fales Henry M., Van Eyk Jennifer, Kickler Thomas S., Billings Eric M., Nabel Elizabeth G.
Primary Institution: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Hypothesis
A proteomic biomarker panel consisting of multiple serum proteins assessed simultaneously would enhance the diagnostic accuracy for venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to D-dimer.
Conclusion
Protein expression analysis of serum using direct mass spectrometry demonstrates potential diagnostic utility for VTE.
Supporting Evidence
- The model yielded a sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 89%.
- The ANN-based prediction model classified 78% of patients correctly in the validation group.
- Direct MS method showed enhanced diagnostic performance compared to D-dimer assays.
- Gel-based analyses validated that protein expression differences are present among proteins with high abundance.
Takeaway
Doctors can use a special test to look at proteins in blood to help find blood clots better than the usual tests.
Methodology
Direct mass spectrometry analysis of serum from hospitalized patients undergoing evaluation for VTE.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors included recent trauma, surgery, and cancer in the patient population.
Limitations
The study used routine clinical settings for VTE diagnosis, which may not be the gold standard, and had a small sample size.
Participant Demographics
The study included 116 inpatients, with a balanced cohort of 76 patients analyzed, including 38 with VTE.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.033
Confidence Interval
AUC of 0.85
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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