Steroidomics for the Prevention, Assessment, and Management of Cancers: A Systematic Review and Functional Analysis. Metabolites. 2019;9. [PMID: 31546652 PMCID: PMC6835899 DOI: 10.3390/metabo9100199]

DHEA-S, Androstenedione, 17-β-estradiol signature as novel biomarkers for early prediction of risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma linked to asbestos-exposure: A preliminary investigation

17-β-estradiol, involved in mesothelioma pathogenesis, and its precursors were explored as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for 17-β-estradiol and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS) for 19 17-β-estradiol precursors, a comprehensive analysis of 20steroid hormones was conducted in the serum of mesothelioma patients(n=67), asbestos-exposed healthy subjects(n=39), and non-asbestos-exposed healthy subjects(n=35). Bioinformatics analysis explored three potential serum biomarkers: 17-β-estradiol, DHEA-S, and androstenedione. The results revealed significant differences in 17-β-estradiol levels between mesothelioma patients and both non-asbestos-exposed and asbestos-exposed healthy subjects. No significant variations in serum 17-β-estradiol levels were observed among mesothelioma patients at different stages, suggesting its potential as an early diagnostic marker. 17-β-estradiol levels were similar in mesothelioma patients with environmental and occupational asbestos exposure, while males with occupational asbestos exposure exhibited significantly higher levels of 17-β-estradiol compared to females. Significant reduction in androstenedione and an increase in DHEA-S were observed in asbestos-exposed individuals compared to non-asbestos-exposed individuals. The analysis of DHEA-S-androstenedione-17-β-estradiol signature score showed an increase in asbestos-exposed individuals and mesothelioma patients compared to non-asbestos-exposed individuals, and this score effectively distinguished between the groups. The Cancer Genome Atlas data was utilized to analyze the expression of 5-α-reductase1 and hydroxysteroid-17β-dehydrogenase2 genes. The findings indicated that mesothelioma patients with elevated gene values for 5-α-reductase1 and hydroxysteroid-17β-dehydrogenase2 have a worse or better prognosis on overall survival, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests 17-β-estradiol, DHEA-S, and androstenedione as biomarkers for mesothelioma risk and early diagnosis of mesothelioma in asbestos-exposed individuals, aiding timely intervention and improved care.

Quantification of glucocorticoid and progestogen metabolites in bovine plasma, skimmed milk and saliva by UHPLC-HR-MS with polarity switching

Steroid metabolites are increasingly in focus when searching for novel biomarkers in physiological mechanisms and their disorders. While major steroids such as progesterone and cortisol are well-researched and routinely determined to assess the health, particularly the reproductive status of mammals, the function of potentially biologically active progestogen and glucocorticoid metabolites is widely unexplored. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of comprehensive, sensitive, and specific analytical methods. This is particularly the case when analyzing matrices like milk or saliva obtained by non-invasive sampling with steroid concentrations often below those present in plasma. Therefore, a new UHPLC-HR-MS method based on an Ultimate UHPLC system equipped with an Acquity HSS T3 reversed-phase column and a Q Exactive™ mass spectrometer was developed, enabling the simultaneous chromatographic separation, detection and quantification of eleven isobaric glucocorticoids (11-dehydrocorticosterone (A), corticosterone (B), cortisol (F), cortisone (E), the tetrahydrocortisols (THF): 3α,5α-THF, 3α,5β-THF, 3β,5α-THF, 3β,5β-THF, and the tetrahydrocortisones (THE): 3α,5α-THE, 3α,5β-THE, 3β,5α-THE) and twelve progestogens (progesterone (P4), pregnenolone (P5), the dihydroprogesterones (DHP): 20α-DHP, 20β-DHP, 3α-DHP, 3β-DHP, 5α-DHP, 5β-DHP, and the tetrahydroprogesterones (THP): 3α,5α-THP, 3α,5β-THP, 3β,5α-THP, 3β,5β-THP) in bovine plasma, skimmed milk, and saliva. A simple liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) was used for sample preparation of 500 μL plasma, skimmed milk, and saliva. Heated electrospray ionization (HESI) with polarity switching was applied to analyze steroids in high-resolution full scan mode (HR-FS). The method validation covered the investigation of sensitivity, selectivity, curve fitting, carry-over, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effects and applicability. A high sensitivity in the range of pg mL-1 was achieved for all steroids suitable for the analysis of authentic samples.

Steroid Hormones as Modulators of Emotional Regulation in Male Urogenital Cancers

BACKGROUND

Tumors develop within an organism operating in a specific social and physical environment. Cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), two of the most abundant steroid hormones in humans, are involved in both emotional regulation and the tumor progression. Several studies reported preclinical findings that DHEA can have preventive and therapeutic efficacy in treating major age-associated diseases, including cancer, although the mechanisms of action are not yet defined. The main aim of current study was to investigate the relationship between psychological and physiological emotional regulation and cancer development.

METHOD

This study assessed the quality of life of urogenital cancer male patients using several validated tools, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and the Profile of Mood States. Saliva samples were collected to monitor peripheral activity of both cortisol and DHEA. It was hypothesized that patients with a better quality of life would have higher levels of the DHEA/cortisol ratios.

RESULTS

We found that the quality of life was positively related to DHEA, but not cortisol levels. Negative mood increases were related to lower levels of DHEA. Logistic regression of the predictors of metastases indicated three main independent factors involved: DHEA, age, and cortisol. In other words, the higher the DHEA levels in comparison to cortisol levels, controlling for age, the lower the probability of metastases.

CONCLUSION

Our results appear to support the hypothesis that emotional dysregulation mediated by DHEA/cortisol activity is a key factor in the probability of metastasis in urogenital cancers.

Circulating adrenal 11-oxygenated androgens are associated with clinical outcome in endometrial cancer

Context

Recent evidence support that androgens play an important role in the etiology of endometrial cancer (EC). Adrenal-derived 11-oxygenated androgens are highly potent agonists of the androgen receptor (AR), comparable to testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that have not been studied in the context of EC.

Methodology

We studied a cohort of 272 newly diagnosed postmenopausal EC cases undergoing surgical treatment. Circulating concentrations of seven 11-oxygenated androgens including precursors, potent androgens and their metabolites were established in serum samples collected before and 1 month after surgery using a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS). Free (unconjugated) and total (free + sulfate and glucuronide conjugates following enzymatic hydrolysis) were analyzed in relation to clinicopathological features, recurrence and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Levels of 11-oxygenated androgens were weakly correlated to those of canonical androgens such as testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), with no evidence of their association with clinicopathological features. Levels of 11-oxygenated androgens declined after surgery but remained higher in overweight and obese compared to normal weight cases. Higher levels of preoperative free 11-ketoandrosterone (11KAST) were associated with an increased risk of recurrence (Hazard ratio (HR) of 2.99 (95%CI=1.09-8.18); P=0.03). Postoperative free 11β-hydroxyandrosterone (11OHAST) levels were adversely associated with recurrence and DFS (HR = 3.23 (1.11-9.40); P=0.03 and 3.27 (1.34-8.00); P=0.009, respectively).

Conclusion

11-oxygenated androgen metabolites emerge as potential prognostic markers of EC.

Mass Spectrometry as a Crucial Analytical Basis for Omics Sciences

This review is devoted to the consideration of mass spectrometric platforms as applied to omics sciences. The most significant attention is paid to omics related to life sciences (genomics, proteomics, meta-bolomics, lipidomics, glycomics, plantomics, etc.). Mass spectrometric approaches to solving the problems of petroleomics, polymeromics, foodomics, humeomics, and exosomics, related to inorganic sciences, are also discussed. The review comparatively presents the advantages of various principles of separation and mass spectral techniques, complementary derivatization, used to obtain large arrays of various structural and quantitative information in the mentioned omics sciences.

In Silico Prediction of Steroids and Triterpenoids as Potential Regulators of Lipid Metabolism

This review focuses on a rare group of steroids and triterpenoids that share common properties as regulators of lipid metabolism. This group of compounds is divided by the type of chemical structure, and they represent: aromatic steroids, steroid phosphate esters, highly oxygenated steroids such as steroid endoperoxides and hydroperoxides, α,β-epoxy steroids, and secosteroids. In addition, subgroups of carbon-bridged steroids, neo steroids, miscellaneous steroids, as well as synthetic steroids containing heteroatoms S (epithio steroids), Se (selena steroids), Te (tellura steroids), and At (astatosteroids) were presented. Natural steroids and triterpenoids have been found and identified from various sources such as marine sponges, soft corals, starfish, and other marine invertebrates. In addition, this group of rare lipids is found in fungi, fungal endophytes, and plants. The pharmacological profile of the presented steroids and triterpenoids was determined using the well-known computer program PASS, which is currently available online for all interested scientists and pharmacologists and is currently used by research teams from more than 130 countries of the world. Our attention has been focused on the biological activities of steroids and triterpenoids associated with the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and related processes such as anti-hyperlipoproteinemic activity, as well as the treatment of atherosclerosis, lipoprotein disorders, or inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis. In addition, individual steroids and triterpenoids were identified that demonstrated rare or unique biological activities such as treating neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases with a high degree of certainty over 95 percent. For individual steroids or triterpenoids or a group of compounds, 3D drawings of their predicted biological activities are presented.

Current progress in metabolomics of gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders of pregnancy and can cause short- and long-term adverse effects in both pregnant women and their offspring. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of GDM are still unclear. As a metabolic disease, GDM is well suited to metabolomics study, which can monitor the changes in small molecular metabolites induced by maternal stimuli or perturbations in real time. The application of metabolomics in GDM can be used to discover diagnostic biomarkers, evaluate the prognosis of the disease, guide the application of diet or drugs, evaluate the curative effect, and explore the mechanism. This review provides comprehensive documentation of metabolomics research methods and techniques as well as the current progress in GDM research. We anticipate that the review will contribute to identifying gaps in the current knowledge or metabolomics technology, provide evidence-based information, and inform future research directions in GDM.

Breast Cancer: Targeting of Steroid Hormones in Cancerogenesis and Diagnostics

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women with high mortality. Sensitive and specific methods for the detection, characterization and quantification of endogenous steroids in body fluids or tissues are needed for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of breast cancer and many other diseases. At present, non-invasive diagnostic methods are gaining more and more prominence, which enable a relatively fast and painless way of detecting many diseases. Metabolomics is a promising analytical method, the principle of which is the study and analysis of metabolites in biological material. It represents a comprehensive non-invasive diagnosis, which has a high potential for use in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers, including breast cancer. This short review focuses on the targeted metabolomics of steroid hormones, which play an important role in the development and classification of breast cancer. The most commonly used diagnostic tool is the chromatographic method with mass spectrometry detection, which can simultaneously determine several steroid hormones and metabolites in one sample. This analytical procedure has a high potential in effective diagnosis of steroidogenesis disorders. Due to the association between steroidogenesis and breast cancer progression, steroid profiling is an important tool, as well as in monitoring disease progression, improving prognosis, and minimizing recurrence.

Toward a Standardized Strategy of Clinical Metabolomics for the Advancement of Precision Medicine

Despite the tremendous success, pitfalls have been observed in every step of a clinical metabolomics workflow, which impedes the internal validity of the study. Furthermore, the demand for logistics, instrumentations, and computational resources for metabolic phenotyping studies has far exceeded our expectations. In this conceptual review, we will cover inclusive barriers of a metabolomics-based clinical study and suggest potential solutions in the hope of enhancing study robustness, usability, and transferability. The importance of quality assurance and quality control procedures is discussed, followed by a practical rule containing five phases, including two additional "pre-pre-" and "post-post-" analytical steps. Besides, we will elucidate the potential involvement of machine learning and demonstrate that the need for automated data mining algorithms to improve the quality of future research is undeniable. Consequently, we propose a comprehensive metabolomics framework, along with an appropriate checklist refined from current guidelines and our previously published assessment, in the attempt to accurately translate achievements in metabolomics into clinical and epidemiological research. Furthermore, the integration of multifaceted multi-omics approaches with metabolomics as the pillar member is in urgent need. When combining with other social or nutritional factors, we can gather complete omics profiles for a particular disease. Our discussion reflects the current obstacles and potential solutions toward the progressing trend of utilizing metabolomics in clinical research to create the next-generation healthcare system.