ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To search for markers of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) for diagnosis. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we evaluated 51 serum metabolites in 49 NPC, 37 throat cancer patients and 40 healthy controls. High metabolites were selected and confirmed in NPC tissues. Sensitivity and specificity were appraised for 53 NPC diagnoses. RESULTS: Metabolic profiling revealed that kynurenine, N-acetylglucosaminylamine, N-acetylglucosamine and hydroxyphenylpyruvate increased in NPC patient sera. Their sensitivity and specificity were respectively 79% and 71%, 78% and 69%, 83% and 68%, 84% and 73% for NPC diagnosis. These increases were confirmed in NPC cells. Four metabolites gradually increased from stage I to stage III. After radiotherapy, four metabolites decreased gradually, and tended to a normal level, and were associated with rate of tumor reduction. CONCLUSION: The results reveal that kynurenine, N-acetylglucosaminylamine, N-acetylglucosamine and hydroxyphenylpyruvate are potentially markers of NPC for diagnosis and therapy.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Acetylglucosamine/blood , Carcinoma , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Humans , Kynurenine/blood , Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/blood , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Phenylpyruvic Acids/bloodABSTRACT
Eucommia ulmodies Oliver (E. ulmodies) has been used as herbal medicine for thousands years in China. The selection of the control substances and their fingerprints of this plant medicine were investigated by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The gradient elution mode was applied in chromatographic separation, and the data was analyzed by "Computer Aided Similarity Evaluation" software to compare the similarity of the E. ulmodies from different habitats. Low similarity was found in the samples from nonadjacent provinces, while high similarity was obtained in those from the adjacent provinces. The LC-MS fingerprints of E. ulmodies showed the main active constituents and could be used for its original identification and quality evaluation.
