Qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples from non-metastatic breast cancer patients

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common non-skin cancers in women and the fifth most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Both the prognosis and survival rate of BC patient improve considerably if the disease is discovered at an early stage. Methods: In the present study, we analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace over urine, blood and tissue samples to identify VOCs characteristic for diagnosing BC. The study comprised 150 women with non-metastatic BC Stage II and an equal number of age-matched Healthy Controls (HC). Collected urine, blood and BC tissue samples were analyzed using the Electronic Nose (E-Nose) and Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) techniques. Results: BC was directly related to E-Nose responses for urine, blood and tissue samples. Linear Discriminant Analysis showed separate clusters for urine, blood and tissue sample for BC patients and HC participants, where the first two principal components explained more than 98.84% of the variance in signals with no false-positive (HC participants) or false-negative (BC patients) results. Conclusions: SIFT-MS showed the expression of 10 aldehydes in tissue specimens and blood samples for BC and HC participants, of which pentanal, hexanal and decanal levels were mutually lower or higher, which means that their presence in the headspace of VOCs is specific for both blood samples and tissue specimens. This provides rationale for developing diagnostic tests for BC based on altered trace VOCs concentrations using the relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, portable, and non-invasive E-Nose technology.

Electronic nose versus quadrupole mass spectrometry for identifying viral hepatitis C patients

“…Different oxidizable simple or complex mixtures of organic substances having a vapour phase are detected using a 10‐fold array of thick film metal‐oxide gas sensors. Their names and sensitivity characteristics are summarized in Table 1, as we detailed earlier 10 . Stability studies on a single blood sample over 72 h showed no significant differences in E‐Nose sensor responses, allowing the blood sample to be analysed as they arrived in the laboratory or after being stored overnight at 4°C.…”

“…Their names and sensitivity characteristics are summarized in Table 1, as we detailed earlier. 10 Stability studies on a single blood sample over 72 h showed no significant differences in E-Nose sensor responses, allowing the blood sample to be analysed as they arrived in the laboratory or after being stored overnight at 4°C. were extracted and further analysed, as we detailed earlier.…”

“…[13][14][15] That is why we usually rely on MS/MS instruments to quantitatively detect specific compounds associated with a particular disease. 10 The objective of this study was to determine if HCV infection can be associated with VOCs in the headspace over blood samples from pathologically confirmed hepatitis C patients and healthy control participants using E-Nose in comparison with quadrupole MS/ MS. All recruited participants were asked to volunteer to the study freely and provided a signed informed consent before their inclusion.…”

“…However, E‐Noses can only qualitatively detect complex odour mixtures of VOCs associated with various diseases without identifying individual chemical species 13‐15 . That is why we usually rely on MS/MS instruments to quantitatively detect specific compounds associated with a particular disease 10 …”

“…Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in clinical matrices have increased interest in their diagnostic potential for many disorders due to their ability to act as non‐invasive disease markers 10 11 …”