Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Non-Invasive, Topical Sampling of Potential, Low-Molecular Weight, Skin Cancer Biomarkers : A Study on Healthy Volunteers

Jankovskaja, Skaidre LU ; Morin, Maxim LU ; Gustafsson, Anna LU ; Anderson, Chris D. ; Lehoczki, Boglarka ; Engblom, Johan LU ; Björklund, Sebastian LU ; Rezeli, Melinda LU orcid ; Marko-Varga, György LU and Ruzgas, Tautgirdas LU (2022) In Analytical Chemistry 94(15). p.5856-5865
Abstract

Monitoring of low-molecular weight cancer biomarkers, such as tryptophan (Trp) and its derivative kynurenine (Kyn), might be advantageous to non-invasive skin cancer detection. Thus, we assessed several approaches of topical sampling of Trp and Kyn, in relation to phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr), on the volar forearm of six healthy volunteers. The sampling was performed with three hydrogels (made of agarose or/and chitosan), hydrated starch films, cotton swabs, and tape stripping. The biomarkers were successfully sampled by all approaches, but the amount of collected Kyn was low, 20 ± 10 pmol/cm2. Kyn quantification was below LOQ, and thus, it was detected only in 20% of topical samples. To mitigate variability... (More)

Monitoring of low-molecular weight cancer biomarkers, such as tryptophan (Trp) and its derivative kynurenine (Kyn), might be advantageous to non-invasive skin cancer detection. Thus, we assessed several approaches of topical sampling of Trp and Kyn, in relation to phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr), on the volar forearm of six healthy volunteers. The sampling was performed with three hydrogels (made of agarose or/and chitosan), hydrated starch films, cotton swabs, and tape stripping. The biomarkers were successfully sampled by all approaches, but the amount of collected Kyn was low, 20 ± 10 pmol/cm2. Kyn quantification was below LOQ, and thus, it was detected only in 20% of topical samples. To mitigate variability problems of absolute amounts of sampled amino acids, Tyr/Trp, Phe/Trp, and Phe/Tyr ratios were assessed, proving reduced inter-individual variation from 79 to 45% and intra-individual variation from 42 to 21%. Strong positive correlation was found between Phe and Trp, pointing to the Phe/Trp ratio (being in the 1.0-2.0 range, at 95% confidence) being least dependent on sampling materials, approaches, and sweating. This study leads to conclusion that due to the difficulty in quantifying less abundant Kyn, and thus the Trp/Kyn ratio, the Phe/Trp ratio might be a possible, alternative biomarker for detecting skin cancers.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Analytical Chemistry
volume
94
issue
15
pages
10 pages
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:35394278
  • scopus:85128387453
ISSN
0003-2700
DOI
10.1021/acs.analchem.1c05470
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dd653b46-9cd2-4300-899b-1e8d4a55a010
date added to LUP
2022-06-20 14:52:40
date last changed
2024-06-11 00:31:06
@article{dd653b46-9cd2-4300-899b-1e8d4a55a010,
  abstract     = {{<p>Monitoring of low-molecular weight cancer biomarkers, such as tryptophan (Trp) and its derivative kynurenine (Kyn), might be advantageous to non-invasive skin cancer detection. Thus, we assessed several approaches of topical sampling of Trp and Kyn, in relation to phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr), on the volar forearm of six healthy volunteers. The sampling was performed with three hydrogels (made of agarose or/and chitosan), hydrated starch films, cotton swabs, and tape stripping. The biomarkers were successfully sampled by all approaches, but the amount of collected Kyn was low, 20 ± 10 pmol/cm<sup>2</sup>. Kyn quantification was below LOQ, and thus, it was detected only in 20% of topical samples. To mitigate variability problems of absolute amounts of sampled amino acids, Tyr/Trp, Phe/Trp, and Phe/Tyr ratios were assessed, proving reduced inter-individual variation from 79 to 45% and intra-individual variation from 42 to 21%. Strong positive correlation was found between Phe and Trp, pointing to the Phe/Trp ratio (being in the 1.0-2.0 range, at 95% confidence) being least dependent on sampling materials, approaches, and sweating. This study leads to conclusion that due to the difficulty in quantifying less abundant Kyn, and thus the Trp/Kyn ratio, the Phe/Trp ratio might be a possible, alternative biomarker for detecting skin cancers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Jankovskaja, Skaidre and Morin, Maxim and Gustafsson, Anna and Anderson, Chris D. and Lehoczki, Boglarka and Engblom, Johan and Björklund, Sebastian and Rezeli, Melinda and Marko-Varga, György and Ruzgas, Tautgirdas}},
  issn         = {{0003-2700}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{15}},
  pages        = {{5856--5865}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Analytical Chemistry}},
  title        = {{Non-Invasive, Topical Sampling of Potential, Low-Molecular Weight, Skin Cancer Biomarkers : A Study on Healthy Volunteers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c05470}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/acs.analchem.1c05470}},
  volume       = {{94}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}