Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Simultaneous Pesticide Analysis and Method Validation in Sweet Pepper

Pesticides effectively reduce the population of various pests that harm crops and increase productivity, but leave residues that adversely affect health and the environment. Here, a simultaneous multicomponent analysis method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) pretreated by the QuEChERS method was developed to control the maximum residual levels. Among the 140 pesticides with high frequency of detection in agricultural products in Gyeongnam region in Korea for 5 years, 12 pesticides with high detection frequency in sweet pepper were selected. The analytical method is validated, linearities are r² > 0.999, limit of detection (LOD) ranges from 1.4 to 3.2 µg/kg, and limit of quantification (LOQ) ranges from 4.1 to 9.7 µg/kg, and the recovery rate was 81.7-99.7%. In addition, it was confirmed that a meaningful value of these parameters can be achieved by determining the measurement uncertainty. The results proved that parameters such as recovery rate and relative standard deviation of the analysis method were within international standards. Using the developed method, better and safer sweet peppers will be provided to consumers, and effective pesticide residue management will be possible by expanding to other agricultural products.

Sarcoma and Sarcomatous Metaplastic Carcinoma of the Breast

PURPOSE

Primary sarcoma and SMC (sarcomatous metaplastic carcinoma) of the breast are very rare tumors, accounting for less than 1% of all breast malignancies. There are many controversies concerning the biological characteristics, prognosis and optimal treatment of these tumors owing to the rarity of incidence. The aims of this study were to elucidate the clinicopathologic characteristics of these tumors and to assist in elucidating the optimal treatment plan for the disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

13 cases of primary sarcoma and 10 cases of SMC that had been treated at KCCH between 1984 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Phyllodes tumors were excluded from our study.

RESULTS

Among the 13 cases of primary sarcoma included, stromal sarcoma occurred in 5 cases, osteosarcoma in 3 cases, angiosarcoma in 3 cases and spindle cell sarcoma in 2 cases. The mean age of the patients with primary sarcoma and SMC was 39.7 years and 55.1 years respectively (p=0.002). When survival rates were compared according to histologic types, size of tumor, histologic grade, type of surgery and use of adjuvant therapy, both size of tumor (p=0.0256) and histologic grade (p=0.0197) were shown to be prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

There were no significantly different features between primary sarcoma and SMC in terms of biologic characteristics or survival rates, with the exception that patients with SMC were older than those with primary sarcoma. Histologic grade and size of tumor were significant prognostic factors of these tumors.