Elvar M S Jóhönnuson, Henriette P Sennels, Henrik L Jørgensen, Jens Hannibal, Ching-Yan Chloé Yeung, Christine Rasmussen, Gabriela Zofia Prus, Nicolai J Wewer Albrechtsen, Annelaura Bach Nielsen
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Plasma is the most used clinical specimen, yet diurnal variation in plasma proteins remains largely unexplored. We aimed to identify diurnally-regulated proteins in healthy individuals and assess their potential diagnostic implications, and highlight how diurnal awareness can advance future biomarker research.
Methods: Twenty-four healthy young individuals were studied under highly controlled conditions. Venous blood was drawn every three hours over a 24-h period, yielding 216 samples, of which 208 high-quality plasma samples were analyzed via high-throughput mass spectrometry. The missing data were filtered and imputed, and rhythmicity was assessed using Cosinor-based modeling with Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Tissue and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID functional annotation tool.
Findings: Of 523 proteins that passed quality thresholds, 138 (~ 26%) exhibited significant diurnal oscillations. Tissue enrichment analysis revealed that most rhythmic proteins originated from the liver and platelets, with additional enrichment in a variety of tissue types. Pathway enrichment showed diurnal regulation of hemostasis, immune signaling, integrin-mediated processes, glucose metabolism, and protein synthesis. Notably, 36 clinically utilized biomarkers, including albumin, amylase, and cystatin C exhibited diurnal variation, suggesting that failing to account for temporal fluctuations may reduce diagnostic precision.
Interpretation: These findings demonstrate that over one-quarter of the human plasma proteome is under diurnal control. Such oscillations might have direct clinical implications, as the time-of-day may alter biomarker accuracy. Incorporating diurnal timing into diagnostic and research protocols, through standardized sampling or time-sensitive reference intervals, could improve patient care and inform future biomarker discoveries. Further research in larger, more diverse populations is needed to generalize these results and streamline practices in a way that takes diurnal variation into account.
期刊介绍:
Clinical Proteomics encompasses all aspects of translational proteomics. Special emphasis will be placed on the application of proteomic technology to all aspects of clinical research and molecular medicine. The journal is committed to rapid scientific review and timely publication of submitted manuscripts.