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Researchers analyzed blood serum samples from 27 women aged 45-55 to identify protein biomarkers associated with menopausal symptoms. Two protein spots (#285 and #636) showed inverse correlations with menopausal symptom burden, with spot #285 specifically linked to vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) and spot #636 to psychological symptoms. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance after correction for multiple testing, and the proteins have not yet been molecularly identified.
Why it matters
If validated in larger studies, these protein biomarkers could potentially provide objective measures of menopausal symptom severity, moving beyond subjective questionnaires. This could improve diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying menopausal symptoms.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Objectives: Menopausal symptoms are heterogeneous and commonly assessed by questionnaires. We explored serum two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) protein spots associated with menopausal symptom burden. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study included 27 women aged 45-55 years. A total of 550 matched serum 2-DE spots were quantified. A frequency-adjusted symptom burden score was calculated as the sum of severity x frequency products across 10 symptoms. Spots were screened using Spearman rank correlation with Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment, followed by qualitative image review. Spots #285 and #636 were prioritized for vasomotor and psychological domain analyses. Results: The median age was 51.0 years; 13 participants were menstruating and 14 were amenorrheic. The median overall symptom burden score was 45.0 (interquartile range, 6.5-58.5) and was inversely correlated with spots #285 and #636. Spot #285 was inversely correlated with vasomotor symptom score, including inverse correlations in both menstrual-status groups. Spot #636 was inversely correlated with psychological symptom score overall, with a stronger descriptive correlation among menstruating participants. Neither candidate remained significant after FDR adjustment. Conclusions: Spots #285 and #636 are hypothesis-generating candidates requiring molecular identification, analytical validation, multiplicity-aware confirmation, and independent replication.
Source: Proteomic biomarker candidates inversely associated with menopausal symptoms in midlife women