Abstract

Objective: To identify the associated proteins or antigens in serum of colorectal cancer patients with and without the chronic Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection in Sudan. Methods: The study included 93 patients with colorectal cancer and/or S. mansoni infection. A clinical database of colorectal cancer patients was documented by pathologist and information of S. mansoni infection was collected through stool analysis. Blood samples were collected from the identified patients. Geographical distribution of patients and etiological factors of colorectal cancer and S. mansoni infection were also discussed in this study. The proteins extracted from serum samples of patients using Tri Reagent were electrophoretically separated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Specific protein band was then subjected to matrix laser desorption ionisation-time assistance-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. Results: Stool analysis documented that 40 patients were colorectal cancer patients infected with S. mansoni, 26 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer only, and 27 patients were infected with S. mansoni only. Approximately 27% of participating patients with colorectal cancer and S. mansoni infection in this study came from Gezira State. A specific protein band was identified from the serum samples of colorectal cancer patients with S. mansoni infection on the separated protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The specific protein band was then analyzed by matrix laser desorption ionisation-time assistance-of-flight mass spectrometry and identified as a clusterin protein. Conclusions: The study showed that the colorectal cancer patients infected with S. mansoni expressed clusterin protein, indicating that clusterin protein may be a potential biomarker to aid in the treatment of colorectal cancer patients infected with S. mansoni in the future.

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