DIA-based quantitative proteomics analysis of plasma exosomes in rat model of allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic inflammatory disease characterized by symptoms such as itching, rhinorrhea, sneezing, and nasal obstruction. Despite being classified as an IgE-mediated typeⅠ allergy for many years, the complex pathophysiological mechanism of AR continues to present a challenge in clinical management. The objective of this study was to quantify the proteomics of plasma exosomes using data independent acquisition (DIA) in combination with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify the key proteins involved in the development and progression of AR. In the AR rat model, a total of 41 proteins demonstrated significant up-regulation, while 51 proteins were found to be significantly down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO) analysis results indicated that the altered proteins were highly enriched in cellular regulatory processes and enzymatic activity in AR rats. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network results revealed that the pivotal proteins C4b, C1qa, C1qc, and Mbl1 might be involved in the metabolic pathways of the immune system in AR through the activation of the complement and coagulation cascades pathway. These proteins could serve as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for AR, which is of great significance in understanding the role of exosome proteins in AR.