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Updated: Aug 10, 2025
Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Published on: September 18, 2020
Identification of Key Volatile Organic Compounds Released by Gastric Tissues as Potential Non-Invasive Biomarkers for
Paweł Mochalski1,2, Marcis Leja3,4,5, Daria Ślefarska-Wolak1,2
1Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, PL-25406 Kielce, Poland.
Background:
Volatilomics is a powerful tool capable of providing novel biomarkers for medical diagnosis and therapy monitoring. The objective of this study is to identify potential volatile biomarkers of gastric cancer.
Methods:
The volatilomic signatures of gastric tissues obtained from two distinct populations were investigated using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.
Results:
Amongst the volatiles emitted, nineteen showed differences in their headspace concentrations above the normal and cancer tissues in at least one population of patients. Headspace levels of seven compounds (hexanal, nonanal, cyclohexanone, 2-nonanone, pyrrole, pyridine, and phenol) were significantly higher above the cancer tissue, whereas eleven volatiles (ethyl acetate, acetoin, 2,3-butanedione, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-pentanone, γ-butyrolactone, DL-limonene, benzaldehyde, 2-methyl-1-propanol, benzonitrile, and 3-methyl-butanal) were higher above the non-cancerous tissue. One compound, isoprene, exhibited contradictory alterations in both cohorts. Five compounds, pyridine, ethyl acetate, acetoin, 2,3-butanedione, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, showed consistent cancer-related changes in both populations.
Conclusions:
Pyridine is found to be the most promising biomarker candidate for detecting gastric cancer. The difference in the volatilomic signatures can be explained by cancer-related changes in the activity of certain enzymes, or pathways. The results of this study confirm that the chemical fingerprint formed by volatiles in gastric tissue is altered by gastric cancer.
