In-Depth Proteomic Analysis of Tissue Interstitial Fluid Reveals Biomarker Candidates Related to Varying Differentiation Statuses in Gastric Adenocarcinoma

The proteomic heterogeneity of gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) has been extensively investigated at the bulk tissue level, which can only provide an average molecular state. In this study, we collected an in-depth quantitative proteomic dataset of tissues and interstitial fluids (ISFs) from both poorly and non-poorly differentiated GC and presented a comprehensive analysis from several perspectives. Comparison of proteomes between ISFs and tissues revealed that ISF exhibited higher abundances of proteins associated with blood microparticles, protein-lipid complexes, immunoglobulin complexes, and high-density lipoprotein particles. Also, consistent and inconsistent protein abundance changes between them were revealed by a correlation analysis. Interestingly, a more pronounced difference between tumors and normal adjacent tissues was found at the ISF level, which accurately reflected tissue properties compared to those of bulk tissue. Two ISF-derived biomarker candidates, calsyntenin-1 (CLSTN1) and prosaposin (PSAP), were identified by distinguishing patients with different differentiation statuses and were further validated in serum samples. Additionally, the silencing of CLSTN1 and PSAP was demonstrated to suppress cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in poorly differentiated gastric cancer cell lines. In summary, the ISF proteome offers a new perspective on tumor biology. This study provides a valuable resource that significantly enhances the understanding of GC and may ultimately benefit clinical practice.