Student’s Name
Instructor’s Name
Course
Date
Article Critique-Increased 26s Proteasome Non-ATPase Regulatory Subunit 1 in the Aqueous Humor of Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration
In summary, this research was conducted by Lee et al. to identify new protein relations with the altered ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study used the LC-ESI-MS/MS laboratory technique to execute a proteomic examination of the aqueous humour of the AMD patients and the identified matched control samples. Results of the study showed that six UPS-associated proteins had been present in the aqueous humour of both patients and the control samples, whereby about four of these proteins such as 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 1 (Rpn2), had been increased significantly in patients more than in control samples, about semi-quantitative proteomic outlining. Further, Lee et al. (292) applied the LC-MRM assay technique to reveal that a significant upsurge of Rpn2 in the identified fifteen AMD patients than in the identified control samples. This aspect suggested that Rpn2 protein might be the biomarker for Age-related macular degeneration.
Article Critique
Background information
The brief background of the study suggested that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been the primary cause of human blindness globally. The study further argued that evidence has shown that the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) the suppression contributes to an accumulation of lethal proteins and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) inflammation, causing functional abnormalities and degeneration that is thought to be the creators and main pathologies of the AMD (Lee et al. 292). This background of the study was brief but straight to the point of the study.
Question & Hypothesis
The study was short of the question(s) and Hypothesis, which are significant sections of a scientific study that could guide the researchers in developing this study and come up with significant results (Lee et al. 292). The research being short of hypothesis and research questions means it was maybe answering virtual research questions while proving an unauthenticated hypothesis as per the research data.
Methods
This research applied the LC-ESI-MS/MS laboratory method to perform proteomic analysis of the aqueous humour of the AMD patients, and the known matched control models. Lee et al. (292) applied the LC-MRM assay method to expose a significant rise of Rpn2 in the recognized fifteen AMD patients than in the recognized control models. Both laboratory techniques were effective for this study when utilized well by the researchers.
Results
The results of this study were well presented by the use of two tables (1,2) and two graphs (A, B) (Lee et al. 292). Every detail in both tables and graphs was clear and recommendable.
Interpretation of Results
The results were interpreted as well-using figures, as shown in fig. A and fig. A (Lee et al. 292). Both figures can clearly show the difference in results found in the AMD patients and the control models.
Conclusions
The results showed that numerous UPS-associated proteins had been differentially conveyed in AH of the AMD patients than in control models (Lee et al. 292). For instance, in AH of the AMD patients, the Rpn2, SHPRH, USP17, and RNF123, had been increased while G2E3 and USP36 were decreased (Lee et al. 292).
Recommendations
Therefore, it is important to note that the presence of proteasome and ubiquitin subunits such as Rpn2 has been evident in the AH in earlier proteomic studies (Kim 4035). However, there has never been any validation of these UPS proteins as possible AMD biomarkers. Even though the Rpn2 quantification by use of LC-MRM assay presented an upsurge in the Rpn2 average level, there is a need for a new study to prove the significance of the results of the Lee et al. research results. According to Martin (23), since this research was an experimental one, it required a hypothesis.
Works Cited
Kim, Tae Wan, et al. “Proteomic analysis of the aqueous humour in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.” Journal of proteome research 11.8 (2012): 4034-4043.
Lee, Hyungwoo, et al. “Increased 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 1 in the aqueous humour of patients with age-related macular degeneration.” BMB reports 47.5 (2014): 292.
Martin, William E., and Krista D. Bridgmon. Quantitative and statistical research methods: From hypothesis to results. Vol. 42. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.