Identification of arginine and its “Downstream” molecules as potential markers of breast cancer

Amino acids and risk of colon adenocarcinoma: a Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

The existence of amino acid metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells is well established. However, the potential correlation between blood amino acids and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma remains largely unexplored.

METHODS

We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the association between 20 amino acids in the blood and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma. Additionally, reverse MR analysis was employed to identify the presence of reverse causality. A two-step MR analysis was conducted to ascertain the potential mediating effect. Lastly, the alanine detection data from colon adenocarcinoma patients in our hospital were utilized to investigate the differences in alanine levels among healthy individuals and patients with colon cancer, as well as among patients with different stages and locations of colon cancer. Furthermore, a Kaplan-Meier curve was employed to examine the correlation between alanine and overall survival, followed by the implementation of COX univariate analysis.

RESULTS

The results of our study indicate that there is an inverse correlation between alanine and the risk of colon adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we found no significant evidence to support a causal relationship between colon adenocarcinoma and alanine. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and blood glucose do not act as mediators in this causal pathway. Moreover, individuals diagnosed with colon adenocarcinoma exhibited a significant decrease in alanine levels, particularly in cases of stage IV colon adenocarcinoma with distant metastasis. Additionally, elevated alanine levels were associated with improved overall survival rates among colon adenocarcinoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that alanine exhibits protective characteristics against the onset of colon adenocarcinoma and may play a role in promoting a more favorable disease prognosis. Consequently, dietary interventions aimed at increasing alanine intake may serve as a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of colon adenocarcinoma.

The Role of Amino Acids in the Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Review

This review summarizes the role of amino acids in the diagnosis, risk assessment, imaging, and treatment of breast cancer. It was shown that the content of individual amino acids changes in breast cancer by an average of 10-15% compared with healthy controls. For some amino acids (Thr, Arg, Met, and Ser), an increase in concentration is more often observed in breast cancer, and for others, a decrease is observed (Asp, Pro, Trp, and His). The accuracy of diagnostics using individual amino acids is low and increases when a number of amino acids are combined with each other or with other metabolites. Gln/Glu, Asp, Arg, Leu/Ile, Lys, and Orn have the greatest significance in assessing the risk of breast cancer. The variability in the amino acid composition of biological fluids was shown to depend on the breast cancer phenotype, as well as the age, race, and menopausal status of patients. In general, the analysis of changes in the amino acid metabolism in breast cancer is a promising strategy not only for diagnosis, but also for developing new therapeutic agents, monitoring the treatment process, correcting complications after treatment, and evaluating survival rates.

Common alterations in plasma free amino acid profiles and gut microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites of five types of cancer patients

Amino acids not only play a vital role in the synthesis of biological molecules such as proteins in cancer malignant cells, they are also essential metabolites for immune cell activation and antitumor effects in the tumor microenvironment. The abnormal changes in amino acid metabolism are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors and immunity. Intestinal microorganisms play an essential role in amino acid metabolism, and tryptophan and its intestinal microbial metabolites are typical representatives. However, it is known that the cyclic amino acid profile is affected by specific cancer types, so relevant studies mainly focus on one type of cancer and rarely study different cancer forms at the same time. The objective of this study was to examine the PFAA profile of five cancer patients and the characteristics of tryptophan intestinal microbial metabolites to determine whether there are general amino acid changes across tumors. Plasma samples were collected from esophageal (n = 53), lung (n = 73), colorectal (n = 94), gastric (n = 55), breast cancer (n = 25), and healthy control (HC) (n = 139) subjects. PFAA profile and tryptophan metabolites were measured, and their perioperative changes were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between cancer patients and HC. Furthermore, multivariate analysis discriminated cancer patients from HC. Regression diagnosis models were established for each cancer group using differential amino acids from univariate analysis. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was applied to evaluate these diagnosis models. Finally, GABA, arginine, tryptophan, taurine, glutamic acid, and melatonin showed common alterations across all types of cancer patients. Metabolic pathway analysis shows that the most significant enrichment pathways were tryptophan, arginine, and proline metabolism. This study provides evidence that common alterations of the metabolites mentioned above suggest their role in the pathogenesis of each cancer patient. It was suggested that multivariate models based on PFAA profiles and tryptophan metabolites might be applicable in the screening of cancer patients.

Evaluation of Metabolomics as Diagnostic Targets in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

In recent years, high-throughput technologies have facilitated the widespread use of metabolomics to identify biomarkers and targets for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). As a result, the primary goal of this systematic review is to identify and evaluate metabolite biomarkers and their pathways for OSCC that featured consistently across studies despite methodological variations. Six electronic databases (Medline, Cochrane, Web of Science, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Embase) were reviewed for the longitudinal studies involving OSCC patients and metabolic marker analysis (in accordance with PRISMA 2020). The studies included ranged from the inception of metabolomics in OSCC (i.e., 1 January 2007) to 30 April 2023. The included studies were then assessed for their quality using the modified version of NIH quality assessment tool and QUADOMICS. Thirteen studies were included after screening 2285 studies. The majority of the studies were from South Asian regions, and metabolites were most frequently derived from saliva. Amino acids accounted for more than quarter of the detected metabolites, with glutamate and methionine being the most prominent. The top dysregulated metabolites indicated dysregulation of six significantly enriched pathways including aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism and arginine biosynthesis with the false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05. Finally, this review highlights the potential of metabolomics for early diagnosis and therapeutic targeting of OSCC. However, larger studies and standardized protocols are needed to validate these findings and make them a clinical reality.

Energy metabolism pathways in breast cancer progression: The reprogramming, crosstalk, and potential therapeutic targets

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant tumor that seriously endangers health in women. BC, like other cancers, is accompanied by metabolic reprogramming. Among energy metabolism-related pathways, BC exhibits enhanced glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), glutamate metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism activities. These pathways facilitate the proliferation, growth and migration of BC cells. The progression of BC is closely related to the alterations in the activity or expression level of several metabolic enzymes, which are regulated by the intrinsic factors such as the key signaling and transcription factors. The metabolic reprogramming in the progression of BC is attributed to the aberrant expression of the signaling and transcription factors associated with the energy metabolism pathways. Understanding the metabolic mechanisms underlying the development of BC will provide a druggable potential for BC treatment and drug discovery.

Inhibitory Effect of Ursolic Acid on the Migration and Invasion of Doxorubicin-Resistant Breast Cancer

The cause of death in most breast cancer patients is disease metastasis and the occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR). Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which is involved into multiple pathways, is closely related to carcinogenesis and development. Ursolic acid (UA), a natural triterpenoid compound, has been shown to reverse the MDR characteristics of tumor cells. However, the effect of UA on the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells with MDR is not known. Therefore, we investigated the effects of UA on invasion and metastasis, ODC-related polyamine metabolism, and MAPK-Erk-VEGF/MMP-9 signaling pathways in a doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell (MCF-7/ADR) model. The obtained results showed that UA significantly inhibited the adhesion and migration of MCF-7/ADR cells, and had higher affinities with key active cavity residues of ODC compared to the known inhibitor di-fluoro-methyl-ornithine (DFMO). UA could downregulate ODC, phosphorylated Erk (P-Erk), VEGF, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity. Meanwhile, UA significantly reduced the content of metabolites of the polyamine metabolism. Furthermore, UA increased the intracellular accumulation of Dox in MCF-7/ADR cells. Taken together, UA can inhibit against tumor progression during the treatment of breast cancer with Dox, and possibly modulate the Erk-VEGF/MMP-9 signaling pathways and polyamine metabolism by targeting ODC to exert these effects.

Urinary malate dehydrogenase 2 is a new biomarker for early detection of non-small-cell lung cancer

Reliable and noninvasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are an unmet need. This study aimed to screen and validate potential urinary biomarkers for the early diagnosis of NSCLC. Using protein mass spectrometry, urinary MDH2 was found to be abundant both in patients with lung cancer and lung cancer model mice compared with controls. Urine samples obtained as retrospective and prospective cohorts including 1091 NSCLC patients and 736 healthy controls were measured using ELISA. Patients with stage I NSCLC had higher urinary MDH2 compared with healthy controls. The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the urinary MDH2 was 0.7679 and 0.7234 in retrospective and prospective cohorts to distinguish stage I cases from controls. Urinary MDH2 levels correlated with gender and smoking history. MDH2 expression levels were elevated in lung cancer tissues. MDH2 knockdown using shRNA inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer cells. Our study demonstrated that urinary MDH2 concentration was higher in early‐stage NSCLC patients compared with that in controls and that MDH2 could serve as a potential biomarker for early detection of NSCLC.

The Distinctive Serum Metabolomes of Gastric, Esophageal and Colorectal Cancers

Simple Summary

Cancer of the stomach, esophagus and colon are often fatal. Ways are being sought to establish patient-friendly screening tests that would allow these cancers to be detected earlier. Examination of the metabolomics results of cancer patient’s serum for certain metabolites unique for a particular cancer was the goal of this review. From studies conducted within the past five years several metabolites were found to be changed in cancer compared to non-cancer patients for each of the three cancers. Further confirmation of what was discovered in this review coupled with establishment of standard protocols may allow for cancer screening on patient blood samples to become routine clinical tests.

Abstract

Three of the most lethal cancers in the world are the gastrointestinal cancers—gastric (GC), esophageal (EC) and colorectal cancer (CRC)—which are ranked as third, sixth and fourth in cancer deaths globally. Early detection of these cancers is difficult, and a quest is currently on to find non-invasive screening tests to detect these cancers. The reprogramming of energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, notably, an increased dependence on aerobic glycolysis which is often referred to as the Warburg effect. This metabolic change results in a unique metabolic profile that distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells. Serum metabolomics analyses allow one to measure the end products of both host and microbiota metabolism present at the time of sample collection. It is a non-invasive procedure requiring only blood collection which encourages greater patient compliance to have more frequent screenings for cancer. In the following review we will examine some of the most current serum metabolomics studies in order to compare their results and test a hypothesis that different tumors, notably, from EC, GC and CRC, have distinguishing serum metabolite profiles.

Salivary metabolomics for cancer detection

Introduction: Saliva is an ideal biofluid that can be collected in a noninvasive manner, enabling safe and frequent screening of various diseases. Recent studies have revealed that salivary metabolomics analysis has the potential to detect both oral and systemic cancers. Area covered: We reviewed the technical aspects, as well as applications, of salivary metabolomics for cancer detection. The topics include the effects of preconditioning and the method of sample collection, sample storage, processing, measurement, data analysis, and validation of the results. We also examined the rational relationship between salivary biomarkers and tumors distant from the oral cavity. A strategy to establish standard operating protocols for obtaining reproducible quantification data is also discussed Expert opinion: Salivary metabolomics reflects oral and systematic health status, which potently enables cancer detection. The sensitivity and specificity of each marker and their combinations have been well evaluated, but a validation study is required. Further, the standard operating protocol for each procedure should be established to obtain reproducible data before clinical usage.

Exploring metabolomics biomarkers for evaluating the effectiveness of concurrent radiochemotherapy for cervical cancers

Background

Cervical cancer is the second most common female malignancy worldwide. The main method to evaluate the effect of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in the locally advanced stage is imaging which cannot meet the clinical needs. This study aimed to explore potential cervical cancer biomarkers via plasma metabolomics and evaluate the effectiveness of CCRT and disease progression.

Methods

Twenty-four primary and thirty recurrent patients were enrolled between November 2016 and November 2017. Plasma samples were obtained by centrifugation of whole blood collected from enrolled patients at admission and from primary patients after CCRT. Plasma metabolic profiles were determined via ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Multivariate analyses and public databases were used to screen and identify differential metabolites. Pathway analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst.

Results

Metabolic profiles obtained were significantly different among primary, post-CCRT-treated, and recurrent patients. Multivariate analyses showed that 37 metabolites differed significantly among the three groups, of which the levels of 22 metabolites changed significantly after CCRT and recovered or even exceeded the levels in primary patients when the tumor reappeared. These 22 metabolites were mainly lipids involved in sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, 8 metabolites with area under curve values above 0.75 between each pair of groups exhibited great potential for evaluating CCRT effectiveness and disease progression.

Conclusions

Our results show significantly different plasma metabolic profiles among the three cervical cancer groups; 8 metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers to evaluate the effectiveness of CCRT and disease progression, which can help evaluate the prognosis and treatment of cervical cancer in a timely manner.

miR‑425‑5p is associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer and promotes cancer cell progression by targeting PTEN

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common invasive cancer in women, and it imposes a heavy burden on patients. microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) have been found to play an important role in the development of tumors, but their role in the malignant progression of BC is unclear. In the present study, the expression level of miR‑425‑5p was examined in patients with BC, and its association with prognosis was investigated. In vitro experiments were performed to examine role of miR‑425‑5p in the development of BC cells. A downstream target gene of miR‑425‑5p was predicted using a miRNA target prediction tool and validated with a luciferase reporter assay. It was found that miR‑425‑5p expression was increased in BC tissues and cell lines, and was associated with tumor size, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poor overall survival in patients with BC. Knockdown of miR‑425‑5p in BC cell lines inhibited proliferation and migration. PTEN was identified as a downstream target gene of miR‑425‑5p. Overexpression of PTEN was demonstrated to partially inhibit the promotional effect of miR‑425‑5p on cell proliferation and migration. Taken together, miR‑425‑5p is associated with poor prognosis, and promotes cell proliferation and migration via PTEN. Thus, miR‑425‑5p may serve as a therapeutic and prognostic marker for BC.

The importance of plasma arginine level and its downstream metabolites in diagnosing prostate cancer

PURPOSE

There is still no certain threshold value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of arginine and its metabolites for diagnosing prostate cancer in patients with PSA 4-10 ng/ml and evaluate their usefulness as prognostic tumor markers.

METHODS

Seventy-eight patients with a mean age of 64.50 ± 5.49 years were included in our prospective observational study between November 2016 and March 2017. They were divided into two equal groups according to the pathologic results of prostate biopsy (benign vs. malignant). Plasma arginine and ornithine levels were analyzed before biopsy by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. ELISA was used for analyzing urinary diacetylspermine.

RESULTS

In PSA-adjusted analysis, the malignant group had lower plasma arginine levels (p = 0.021) and arginine to ornithine ratio (AOR) (p = 0.010), but higher plasma ornithine levels (p = 0.012) and urinary diacetylspermine levels (p < 0.001) as compared with the benign group. While arginine (r = - 0.628, p < 0.001) and AOR (r = - 0.714, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with D'Amico clinical classification (p < 0.001), ornithine (r = 0.659, p < 0.001) and diacetylspermine (r = 0.710, p < 0.001) were found to be positively correlated (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, ornithine [OR 3.264, 95% CI (1.045-10.196), p = 0.042] and diacetylspermine [OR 6.982, 95% CI (2.403-20.290), p < 0.001] were found to be more significant in detection of prostate cancer.

CONCLUSION

Plasma arginine, ornithine, AOR and urinary diacetylspermine levels may be used as molecular markers to predict prostate biopsy outcomes in patients with PSA 4-10 ng/ml. But according to our results, the use of ornithine and diacethylspermine prior to biopsy seems to be the most cost-effective diagnostic strategy.

Gene polymorphisms of SFTPB rs7316, rs9752 and PAOX rs1046175 affect the diagnostic value of plasma Pro-SFTPB and DAS in Chinese Han non-small-cell lung cancer patients

Plasma pro-surfactant protein B (pro-SFTPB) and N1,N12-diacetylspermine (DAS) can be used as markers for the diagnosis of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Whether the genetic diversity affects the application value of Pro-SFTPB and DAS as a diagnostic marker for NSCLC is still unknown. This study aims to explore the relationship between SFTPB rs7316, rs9752 and PAOX rs1046175 gene polymorphisms and the diagnostic value of plasma Pro-SFTPB and DAS in patients with Chinese Han lung cancer. SFTPB rs7316, rs9752 and PAOX rs1046175 genotypes were analyzed by direct sequencing in 425 patients with NSCLC and 425 controls, and the levels of Pro-SFTPB and DAS in plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The area under the curve (AUC) of the SFTPB rs7316 locus TT genotype for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.758, and the AUC of the TC/CC genotype for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.872. The AUC of the SFTPB rs9752 locus GG genotype for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.935, and the AUC of the GC/CC genotype for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.648. The AUC of the PAOX rs1046175 locus GG for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.669, and the AUC of the GC/CC genotype for the diagnosis of NSCLC was 0.749. In conclusion, SFTPB rs7316, rs9752, and PAOX rs1046175 gene polymorphisms affect the diagnostic value of plasma Pro-SFTPB and DAS in patients with Chinese Han NSCLC.

Discriminating gastric cancer and gastric ulcer using human plasma amino acid metabolic profile

Patients with gastric ulcer (GU) have a significantly higher risk of developing gastric cancer (GC), especially within 2 years after diagnosis. The main way to improve the prognosis of GC is to predict the tumorigenesis and metastasis in the early stage. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the ability of human plasma amino acid metabolic profile for discriminating GC and GU. In this study, we first used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technique to characterize the plasma amino acid metabolism in GC and GU patients. Plasma samples were collected from 84 GC patients and 82 GU patients, and 22 amino acids were detected in each patient. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis model was performed to analyze the data of these amino acids. We observed seven differential amino acids between GC and GU. A regression analysis model was established using these seven amino acids. Finally, a panel of five differential amino acids, including glutamine, ornithine, histidine, arginine and tryptophan, was identified for discriminating GC and GU with good specificity and sensitivity. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate diagnostic ability of the regression model and area under the curve was 0.922. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential values of plasma amino acid metabolic profile and metabolomic analysis technique in assisting diagnosis of GC. More studies are needed to highlight the theoretical strengths of metabolomics to understand the potential metabolic mechanisms in GC. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(6):553-562, 2018.

miR-424-5p regulates cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting doublecortin-like kinase 1 in basal-like breast cancer

Our previous study has showed doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) serves as an oncogene to regulate basal-like breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and is associated with malignant status and poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to identify microRNAs (miRNAs), which target DCLK1 to regulate basal-like breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In our results, we observed that miR-424-5p expression was decreased in basal-like breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we found 3'-UTR of DCLK1 had binding site of miR-424-5p based on microRNA target databases, and there was an inverse correlation between miR-424-5p and DCLK1 in basal-like breast cancer tissues. Moreover, we confirmed miR-424-5p directly targeted to 3'-UTR of DCLK1 through luciferase reporter assay, and miR-424-5p negatively regulated DCLK1 mRNA and protein expressions through qRT-PCR and western blot. The gain-of-function studies showed that miR-424-5p suppressed basal-like breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The rescued-function studies suggested up-regulation of DCLK1 could rescue inhibition of miR-424-5p mimics in the regulation of basal-like breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Finally, low-expression of miR-424-5p was associated with advanced clinical stage, large tumor size, more metastatic lymph nodes, present distant metastasis and poor histological grade in basal-like breast cancer patients. In conclusion, miR-424-5p is a tumor suppressive microRNA to regulate tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion via binding to the functional target DCLK1, and associated with malignant status in basal-like breast cancer.

Serum levels of polyamine synthesis enzymes increase in diabetic patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between diabetes and breast cancer and the detection of enzymes and ornithine levels in polyamine synthesis pathway in diabetes, breast cancer and diabetic breast cancer patients.

METHODS

Ornithine, arginine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase and agmatinase levels have been measured in serum of all groups. Ornithine levels were measured spectrophotometrically. Arginine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase and agmatinase levels were determined by ELISA kits.

RESULTS

Except for the diabetic group, the levels of enzymes in the polyamine synthesis pathway were increased in all and statistically significant (P < 0.05). The increase in the levels of agmatinase was very important among the enzymes (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased levels of polyamine synthase enzymes in diabetes mellitus were found to be increased patients with breast cancer. Whether and how diabetes-based breast cancer development relates to increase activity of enzymes responsible for polyamine synthesis requires further mechanistic and prospective monitoring studies in larger patient cohorts.

Plasma L-arginine levels distinguish pulmonary arterial hypertension from left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening condition, characterized by an imbalance of vasoactive substances and remodeling of pulmonary vasculature. Nitric oxide, formed from L-arginine, is essential for homeostasis and smooth muscle cell relaxation in PAH. Our aim was to compare plasma concentrations of L-arginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) in PAH compared to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and healthy subjects. This was an observational, multicenter study comparing 21 patients with PAH to 14 patients with LVSD and 27 healthy subjects. Physical examinations were obtained and blood samples were collected. Plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA, L-arginine, L-ornithine, and L-citrulline were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Plasma levels of ADMA and SDMA were higher, whereas L-arginine and L-arginine/ADMA ratio were lower in PAH patients compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Patients with PAH also had lower levels of L-arginine than patients with LVSD (p < 0.05). L-Arginine correlated to 6 min walking distance (6MWD) (r _s = 0.58, p = 0.006) and L-arginine/ADMA correlated to WHO functional class (r _s = -0.46, p = 0.043) in PAH. In conclusion, L-arginine levels were significantly lower in treatment naïve PAH patients compared to patients with LVSD. Furthermore, L-arginine correlated with 6MWD in PAH. L-arginine may provide useful information in differentiating PAH from LVSD.

Cerebrospinal fluid metabolomic profiles can discriminate patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from patients at high risk for leptomeningeal metastasis

Purpose

Early diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) is necessary to improve outcomes of this formidable disease. However, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology is frequently false negative. We examined whether CSF metabolome profiles can be used to differentiate patients with LMC from patients having a risk for development of LMC.

Results

A total of 10,905 LMIs were evaluated using PCA-DA. The LMIs defined Group 2 with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 91%. After selecting 33 LMIs, including diacetylspermine and fibrinogen fragments, the CSF metabolomics profile had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% for discriminating Group 1b from the other groups. After selecting 21 LMIs, including phosphatidylcholine, the CSF metabolomics profile differentiated LMC (Group 2) patients from the high-risk groups of Group 3 and Group 4 with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Materials and Methods

We prospectively collected CSF from five groups of patients: Group 1a, systemic cancer; Group 1b, no tumor; Group 2, LMC; Group 3, brain metastasis; Group 4, brain tumor other than brain metastasis. All metabolites in the CSF samples were detected as low-mass ions (LMIs) using mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis-based discriminant analysis (PCA-DA) and two search algorithms were used to select the LMIs that differentiated the patient groups of interest from controls.

Conclusions

Analysis of CSF metabolite profiles could be used to diagnose LMC and exclude patients at high-risk of LMC with a 100% accuracy. We expect a future validation trial to evaluate CSF metabolic profiles supporting CSF cytology.

Rapid differentiating colorectal cancer and colorectal polyp using dried blood spot mass spectrometry metabolomic approach

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading causes of cancer mortality, and the early-stage detection could significantly enhance survival rates. Cancer influences the important metabolic pathways and the changes in metabolite levels had been used in many studies as the potential biomarkers. This study is aimed at screening metabolite biomarkers with CRC diagnosis potentials. The direct infusion mass spectrometry (MS) metabolomic analysis based on dried blood spot was used to distinguish CRC from polyp. The target metabolites were composed of 23 amino acids and 26 acylcarnitines. The 21 metabolites in blood were selected via multivariate analysis. A regression model was established based on parameters C16, Arg, C4/C8, C5/C3, Val, Phe/Tyr, Ala, C4/C3. Tenfold cross validation (CV) method was used to test this model and showed sensitivity of 81.18% and specificity of 83.95%. The metabolomic analysis is a practicable method for CRC detection. The use of direct MS analysis in metabolite screening could be finished in several minutes and served as a higher-throughput method to distinguish CRC and polyps. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(5):347-354, 2017.