OBJECTIVETo screen signaling pathway proteins in myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms-unclassifiable (MDS/MPN-U), and to explore the possible role of the differentially expressed signaling pathway proteins in pathogenesis of MDS/MPN-U.

METHODSProtein Pathway Array (PPA) was applied to analyze the differential expression levels of signaling pathway proteins in 10 patients with MDS/MPN-U and normal controls, and furthermore to identify the signaling pathways and network in which these proteins were analyzed by Ingenuity pathway analysis program.

RESULTSThe expressions of 25 signaling proteins in MDS/MPN-U were significantly different, compared with the control group. Among them 15 proteins were upregulated in MDS/MPN-U patients, while 10 proteins were downregulated. These dysregulated proteins were involved in 10 major signaling pathways related with cell proliferation and immunity. The complicated interactive network was established by these proteins and pathways.

CONCLUSIONThe differentially expressed signaling proteins screened from the MDS/MPN-U patients by PPA might be helpful to reveal the pathogenesis of MDS/MPN-U and to discover the therapeutic targets.