Study on Differential Metabolites Between Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cancer Based on Non-Targeted...

To explore the difference of metabolites between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the occurrence and development of cervical cancer based on non-targeted metabolomics.

Between August 2022 and August 2023, 20 women of childbearing age at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, including the HPV-negative control, LSIL (HPV infection), HSIL (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN2-3]), and cervical cancer groups, were selected as research participants. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and SCIEX mass spectrometry (TripleTOF 6600+, USA) were used to separate and detect the metabolites.

According to the results of the differential metabolite analysis, the KEGG pathway was enriched. The most obvious enrichment pathway in the CIN2-3 group compared with the HPV-negative and HPV-positive groups was the steroid hormone pathway; the most obvious enrichment pathway in the cervical cancer group compared with the HPV-negative group was the steroid hormone pathway. Compared with HPV-negative group, the most obvious enrichment pathway in the CIN2-3 group was the glycerophosphate metabolism pathway. Compared with CIN2-3 and HPV-positive group, the most obvious enrichment pathway in the cervical cancer group was the sphingolipid metabolism pathway, followed by the steroid biosynthesis and amino sugar and nucleotide metabolism pathways. Compared with the HPV-negative group, the most obvious enrichment pathway in the cervical cancer group was the steroid biosynthesis pathway, followed by the sphingolipid metabolism pathway. 19-Hydroxytestosterone is involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones. Cerebroside B is involved in sphingolipid metabolism. Potassium acetate is involved in protein digestion and absorption. Methylarsonate is involved in chemical carcinogenesis - reactive oxygen species.

The expression levels of 19-Hydroxytestosterone, cerebroside B, potassium acetate and methylarsonate are downregulated with the aggravation of cervical lesions and can be used as potential tumor markers for cervical cancer.