Early detection of the most common pediatric neoplasm, B-cell precursor lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), is challenging and requires invasive bone marrow biopsies. The purpose of this study was to establish new biomarkers for early screening to detect pediatric leukemia. In this small cohort study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were obtained from blood sera of 10 patients with BCP-ALL and were compared with the control samples from 10 children with some conditions other than neoplasm. Using various analytical approaches, including a new physical model, some significant differences were observable. The most important include: the different peak area ratio 2965/1645 cm−1 (p = 0.002); the lower average percentage of both β-sheet and β-turn protein structures in the sera of BCP-ALL patients (p = 0.03); an AdaBoost-based predictive model for classifying healthy vs. BCP-ALL patients with 85% accuracy; and the phase shift of the first derivative in the spectral range 1050–1042 cm−1 correlating with white blood cell (WBC) and blast cell count in BCP-ALL patients contrary to the samples obtained from healthy controls. Although verification in larger groups of patients will be necessary, these promising results suggest that FTIR spectroscopy may have future potential for the early screening of BCP-ALL.

The study was funded by the Saving Kids with Cancer Foundation (grant No. FNRD.C200.17.003.).

Introduction: Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system in childhood. FTIR spectroscopy provides a holistic view of the chemical composition of biological samples, including the detection of molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. This study evaluated the applicability of FTIR spectroscopy as a potential diagnostic tool for MB. Materials and methods: FTIR spectra of MB samples from 40 children (boys/girls: 31/9; age: median 7.8 years, range 1.5–21.5 years) treated in the Oncology Department of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw between 2010 and 2019 were analyzed. The control group consisted of normal brain tissue taken from four children diagnosed with causes other than cancer. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues were sectioned and used for FTIR spectroscopic analysis. The sections were examined in the mid-infrared range (800–3500 cm−1) by ATR-FTIR. Spectra were analysed using a combination of principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and absorbance dynamics. Results: FTIR spectra in MB were significantly different from those of normal brain tissue. The most significant differences related to the range of nucleic acids and proteins in the region 800–1800 cm−1. Some major differences were also revealed in the quantification of protein conformations (α-helices, β-sheets, and others) in the amide I band, as well as in the absorbance dynamics in the 1714–1716 cm−1 range (nucleic acids). It was not, however, possible to clearly distinguish between the various histological subtypes of MB using FTIR spectroscopy. Conclusions: MB and normal brain tissue can be distinguished from one another to some extent using FTIR spectroscopy. As a result, it may be used as a further tool to hasten and enhance histological diagnosis.