¹H NMR spectroscopy of colon tumors and normal mucosal biopsies; elevated taurine levels and reduced polyethyleneglycol absorption in tumors may have diagnostic significance

Abstract

Twenty-three pairs of normal mucosa and colonic adenocarcinoma biopsy specimens have been examined in this pilot study by 1H NMR spectroscopy at 9.4 T to determine whether it was possible to find spectral malignancy markers. The 3.2 ppm (trimethylamine-containing compounds)/0.9 ppm (methyl of fatty acids) resonance intensity ratio in water suppressed spectra, proposed by other authors as a malignancy marker, results in our hands, using resonance areas, in partial overlap between tumor and mucosa values, which reduces its diagnostic value. Furthermore, we have found that submucosa contamination could mask the normal mucosa pattern and artifactually decrease the 3.2/0.9 ppm, ratio value by increasing the 0.9 ppm resonance due to the known triglyceride content of normal submucosa. On the other hand, we have observed in the Hahn spin-echo spectra of intact biopsies resonances arising from taurine and exogenous polyethyleneglycol (PEG). Their assignment and quantification has been carried out in perchloric acid extracts of the tissue biopsies. The taurine (3.4 ppm)/creatine (3.0 ppm) area ratio produced an excellent discrimination between normal mucosa and tumour groups while the PEG (3.7 ppm)/creatine (3.0 ppm) area ratio presented a large overlap, although it was clearly higher in the mucosae than in the tumors for paired samples. These two NMR observable parameters are in our hands highly discriminating and are accordingly proposed as malignancy markers in tissue biopsies although their possible utility for in vivo studies remains to be demonstrated.

Absolute concentrations of metabolites in human brain tumors usingin vitro proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

“…Recently it has been reported that high taurine levels might be the expression of increased celluar proliferation and tumoral aggressiveness. 39 We suggest that medulloblastoma can be distinguished from ependymoma by this taurine peak (Fig. 2(e)).…”

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of muscle growth,mdx dystrophy and glucocorticoid treatments: correlation with repair

“…Resonances were assigned by the spectral pattern in one-dimensional spectra of perchloric acid extracts, by two-dimensional COSY spectra on some samples, and by comparison with chemical shift values of pure compounds and literature values. 18,20,28,29 Peak-height and area analyses Selected spectral peak areas and peak-heights (see Fig. 1) were obtained using x-spec software (version 2.0.7; Bruker).…”

Combining Information of Common Metabolites Reveals Global Differences between Colorectal Cancerous and Normal Tissues

“…[3][4][5] Significant increases in taurine, choline-containing compounds and lipid resonances were observed in malignant colon mucosa by one-dimensional 1 H NMR spectral data. 6 Altered metabolic profiles may provide potential biomarkers for detection, staging, prognostication, and treatment of colorectal cancer. 7 In this present study, we hypothesized that the metabolic profile in colorectal tissue would provide fingerprints of cancerous tissues that clearly differ from normal tissues.…”