Serum immunoglobulin G Fc region N-glycosylation profiling by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry can distinguish breast cancer patients from cancer-free controls

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 469; no. 4; pp. 1140 - 1145
• Main Authors: Kawaguchi-Sakita, Nobuko, Kaneshiro-Nakagawa, Kaoru, Kawashima, Masahiro, Sugimoto, Masahiro, Tokiwa, Mariko, Suzuki, Eiji, Kajihara, Shigeki, Fujita, Yuichiro, Iwamoto, Shinichi, Tanaka, Koichi, Toi, Masakazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 22.01.2016
• Subjects: Biomarker; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - blood; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Female; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Glycosylation; Humans; IgG Fc region N-glycosylation; Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments - blood; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Polysaccharides - blood; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - methods; Tumor immunity; Biomarker; Breast cancer; Tumor immunity; IgG Fc region N-glycosylation
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.12.114
• ISSN: 0006-291X

Herein, we report that breast cancer (BC) patients can be distinguished from cancer-free (NC) controls by serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) crystallizable fragment (Fc) region N-glycosylation profiling using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Recently, there has been much progress in the field of tumor immunology. However, to date, the role and biomarker potential of IgG Fc region N-glycosylation, which affects the function of antibodies, have not been examined in BC. In the present study, we profiled serum IgG Fc region N-glycans in BC patients (N = 90) and NC controls (N = 54) using MALDI-MS. An IgG Fc region N-glycan-based multiple logistic regression model was produced which could distinguish BC patients from NC controls (area under the receiver operative characteristic curve = 0.874). Furthermore, stage 0 patients could also be distinguished using this model. These results suggest that an unknown humoral factor or soluble mediator affects IgGs from the earliest stage of breast cancer, and also suggests that IgG Fc region N-glycosylation may play a role in tumor biology. Although further investigation is required, our findings are the evidence that IgG N-glycan profiling has the potential to be used as a breast cancer biomarker and may provide the insights into tumor immunology. •Serum IgG Fc region N-glycans were profiled in breast cancer patients and controls.•Breast cancer patients had a characteristic pattern of IgG Fc region N-glycosylation.•This pattern can be used to distinguish breast cancer (including stage 0) patients.•IgG N-glycan profiling might be a potential new biomarker for breast cancer.•Role of IgG Fc region N-glycosylation in tumor immunity should be examined.