Metabolic Evaluation of Urine from Patients Diagnosed with High Grade (HG) Bladder Cancer by SPME-LC-MS Method

Abstract

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common malignancy of the urinary system and a leading cause of death worldwide. In this work, untargeted metabolomic profiling of biological fluids is presented as a non-invasive tool for bladder cancer biomarker discovery as a first step towards developing superior methods for detection, treatment, and prevention well as to further our current understanding of this disease. In this study, urine samples from 24 healthy volunteers and 24 BC patients were subjected to metabolomic profiling using high throughput solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in thin-film format and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The chemometric analysis enabled the selection of metabolites contributing to the observed separation of BC patients from the control group. Relevant differences were demonstrated for phenylalanine metabolism compounds, i.e., benzoic acid, hippuric acid, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid. Furthermore, compounds involved in the metabolism of histidine, beta-alanine, and glycerophospholipids were also identified. Thin-film SPME can be efficiently used as an alternative approach to other traditional urine sample preparation methods, demonstrating the SPME technique as a simple and efficient tool for urinary metabolomics research. Moreover, this study’s results may support a better understanding of bladder cancer development and progression mechanisms.

GC-MS based metabolite fingerprinting of serous ovarian carcinoma and benign ovarian tumor

“…44 In another study, the amount of benzoic acid and hippuric acid in urinary metabolites of bladder cancer patients were lower than in healthy controls, which were known to be connected with phenylalanine metabolism pathway. 45 Similar results were obtained in the current study. The amount of hippuric acid found in the urine samples of the HC group was 49.03% higher than the benign patient group and 60.13% higher than the malignant patient group.…”

Benefits of Innovative and Fully Water-Compatible Stationary Phases of Thin-Film Microextraction (TFME) Blades

“…A common strategy used to increase the efficacy of TFME blades is an implementation of chemistries theoretically more suited for the use with aqueous samples than the conventional C 18 . Most popular solutions include mixed-mode C 18 (octadecyl with strong cationic exchanger of benzenesulfonic acid) [ 18 , 19 ], polar enhanced (with unspecified weak anionic exchanger) polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) [ 11 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], and phenylboronic acid (PBA) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 ] coatings. However, the selection of optimal chemistry is highly dependent on target analytes and their proprieties, with each coating characterised by its unique advantages and limitations.…”

Metabolomic and elemental profiling of blood serum in bladder cancer

“…The authors’ study reported elevated levels of these metabolites in the sera of patients with bladder tumors compared to those of patients with early stages of BC [ 80 ]. In contrast, an LC-MS-based study reported lower levels of histidine in the urine of patients with BC compared to healthy controls [ 56 , 81 ]. Moreover, Li et al.…”