Plasma Proteomics Identifies Potential Pancreatic Cancer Risk Indicators in Type 2 Diabetes

Pancreatic cancer is associated with diabetes; however, few plasma biomarkers have sufficient sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Here, we constructed a cohort comprising healthy controls, patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), and patients with pancreatic cancer complicated by T2DM (PCDM) for plasma proteomic analysis. These analyses covered 92 inflammation-associated proteins and 92 tumor-immune-associated proteins. The plasma proteomic analysis revealed that the expression levels of multiple immunoinflammatory proteins were significantly elevated in PCDM. Moreover, with the complication of T2DM and pancreatic cancer, the correlation between plasma proteins in patients showed a downward trend, indicating the potential impact of complex interactions on plasma proteins. Summarily, our findings suggest that increased IL-8 and decreased TWEAK may indicate a higher risk of pancreatic cancer in diabetic patients. Although validation in a larger cohort is necessary, the analysis highlights differences in plasma protein profiles among patients. This study was done to provide a meaningful indicator for early plasma detection of pancreatic cancer in diabetic patients.