PDMS-TiO2 composite films combined with LC-MS/MS for determination of phospholipids of urine in non-small cell lung cancer patients with traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Most patients are already in the mid to advanced stages during the consultation and the survival rate is less than 23 % with a poor prognosis. Therefore, effective dialectical diagnosis of advanced cancer can guide individualized treatment to improve survival. Phospholipids are the building blocks of cell membranes and abnormal phospholipid metabolism is associated with plentiful diseases. Most studies of disease markers use blood as a sample. However, urine covers extensive metabolites that are produced during the body's metabolic processes. Therefore, the study of markers in urine can be used as a complement to improve the diagnosis rate of marker diseases. Moreover, urine is characterized by high water content, high polarity, and high inorganic salt, therefore the detection of phospholipids in urine is challenging. In this study, an original Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-titanium dioxide (TiO2) composite film for sample pre-treatment coupled with the LC-MS/MS method for the determination of phospholipids in the urine with high selectivity and low matrix effects was prepared and developed. The extraction process was scientifically optimized by the single-factor test. After systematic validation, the established method was successfully applied to the accurate determination of phospholipid substances in the urine of lung cancer patients and healthy subjects. In conclusion, the developed method has great potential for the development of lipid enrichment analysis in urine and can be used as a beneficial tool for cancer diagnosis and Chinese medicine syndrome typing.

Assessment of plasma amino acids, purines, tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites, and lipids levels in NSCLC patients based on LC-MS/MS quantification.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of malignant tumor of the lung with poor prognosis. Currently, there is still no effective strategy for diagnosing lung cancer from the perspective of multiple biomarkers containing both polar and nonpolar molecules. In order to explore the pathological changes of NSCLC at the endogenous molecule levels, and further establish the strategy for identifying and monitoring drug efficacy of NSCLC, targeted metabolomics and lipidomics studies were established with NSCLC patients. Polar metabolites including 21 amino acids, 7 purines, 6 tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites, and nonpolar lipids like phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), sphingomyelin (SM), and ceramide (Cer), diacylglycerol (DG), triacylglycerol (TG), were quantitatively determined based on LC-MS/MS, taking into account their metabolism were significantly concerned with the occurrence of lung cancer in previous study. As a result, 14 polar metabolites and 16 lipids were prominently altered in the plasma of NSCLC patients, among which, after multivariate statistical analysis, LPC 18:0 (sn-2), L-Phenylalanine (Phe), oxaloacetic acid (OAA) and xanthine (XA) were screened out as potential small molecules and lipid biomarkers for NSCLC. Furthermore, a new strategy for formulating equation of NSCLC identification was proposed and clinical utility was successfully evaluated through Kangai injection treatment to NSCLC patients. Taking together, this study investigated the pathological changes of NSCLC from the perspective of endogenous polar and nonpolar molecules, and shed a light on identification of NSCLC.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Microflora and Metabolites in the Development of Ulcerative Colitis into Colorectal Cancer Based on the Lung-Gut Correlation Theory.

The lungs and large intestine can co-regulate inflammation and immunity through the lung-gut axis, in which the transportation of the gut microbiota and metabolites is the most important communication channel. In our previous study, not only did the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolites related to inflammation change significantly during the transition from ulcerative colitis (UC) to colorectal cancer (CRC), but the lung tissues also showed corresponding inflammatory changes, which indicated that gastrointestinal diseases can lead to pulmonary diseases. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of this lung-gut axis, metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were detected using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology, while microbiome characterization was performed in BALF using 16S rDNA sequencing. The levels of pulmonary metabolites changed greatly during the development of UC to CRC. Among these changes, the concentrations of linoleic acid and 7-hydroxy-3-oxocholic acid gradually increased during the development of UC to CRC. In addition, the composition of the pulmonary microbiota also changed significantly, with an increase in the Proteobacteria and an obvious decrease in the Firmicutes. These changes were consistent with our previous studies of the gut. Collectively, the microbiota and metabolites identified above might be the key markers related to lung and gut diseases, which can be used as an indication of the transition of diseases from the gut to the lung and provide a scientific basis for clinical treatment.

Penetrance of MYOC gene mutation in primary open-angle glaucoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the penetrance of MYOC gene mutation in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) through systematic review and meta-analysis. To explore the factors affecting the penetrance of MYOC and provide evidence-based medical evidence for clinical work. METHODS: We searched all studies that reported the penetrance of MYOC mutation in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese databases including Wanfang, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), and CBM (China Bio-Med). Random effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG. RESULTS: Fifty-two studies were included in this analysis after screening. Meta-analysis of the penetrance of MYOC mutation showed that the penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG was 60% (95% CI: 51.0% to 68.0%) and the penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG and suspected POAG was 68% (95% CI: 60.0% to 75.0%). The penetrance of MYOC mutation increases with age. Among Caucasians, Asians, and Africans, the penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG was 55%, 71%, 54%, respectively, and the penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG and suspected POAG was 64%, 83%, and 57%, respectively. Besides, the penetrance of different MYOC mutation sites was significantly discrepant. The penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG ranged from 10.3% to 100% depending on the mutation sites. Some MYOC mutation sites have a certain population specificity, which is only pathogenic in Caucasians or Asians. CONCLUSIONS: The penetrance of MYOC mutation in POAG showed significant differences due to different mutation sites. The penetrance increased with the accrescent of age. Ethnic difference was an important factor affecting the penetrance of MYOC mutation. Knowing the rules and influencing factors of the penetrance of MYOC mutations is significant for the assessment of the risk of POAG in carriers with the MYOC mutation.