Variations in Blood Platelet Proteome and Transcriptome Revealed Altered Expression of Transgelin-2 in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients

Proteomic analyses based on mass spectrometry provide a powerful tool for the simultaneous identification of proteins and their signatures. Disorders detection at the molecular level delivers an immense impact for a better understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of various diseases. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to a group of heart diseases generally associated with rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque and partial or complete thrombotic obstruction of the blood flow in the infarct-related coronary artery. The essential role in the pathogenesis of ACS is related to the abnormal, pathological activation of blood platelets. The multifactorial and complex character of ACS indicates the need to explain the molecular mechanisms responsible for thrombosis. In our study, we performed screening and comparative analysis of platelet proteome from ACS patients and healthy donors. Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis and nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry showed altered expressions of six proteins (i.e., vinculin, transgelin-2, fibrinogen beta and gamma chains, apolipoprotein a1, and tubulin beta), with the overlapping increased expression at the mRNA level for transgelin-2. Dysregulation in protein expression identified in our study may be associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, correlated with a higher aggregability of blood platelets and induced shape change, thus explaining the phenomenon of the hyperreactivity of blood platelets in ACS.