Lipid biosignature of breast cancer tissues by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Catarina L Silva,Filipa Capelinha,José S Câmara,Marijana Petković,Ivo Sousa-Ferreira,Rosa Perestrelo

doi:10.1007/s10549-020-05672-9

Catarina L Silva, Filipa Capelinha + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05672-9

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Abstract

One of the hallmarks of cancer cells is the demand of supply for the synthesis of new membranes involved in cell proliferation and lipids have an important role in cellular structure, signaling pathways and progression of cancer. In this sense, lipid studies have become an essential tool allowing the establishment of signatures associated with breast cancer (BC). In this regard, some metabolic processes including proteins, nucleic acids and lipid synthesis are enhanced as part of cancer-associated metabolic reprogramming, as a requirement for cell growth and proliferation. Pairwise samples of breast active carcinoma (BAC) and breast cancer-free tissues were collected from n = 28 patients and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. Major lipid species are identified in the MALDI-TOF mass spectra, with certain phosphatidylinositols (PIs) detectable only in BAC. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between ratios lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) 16:0/phosphatidylcholine (PC) 16:0_18:2 between AC and CF groups as well as for BC stages II and III. The ratio PC 16:0_18:2/PC16:0_18:1 was statistically different between AC and CF groups. The one-way ANOVA revealed that there are no statistical differences among BC stages (I, II and III) within AC group. Comparing BC stages, the significance impact increased (p < 0.05) with stage. The obtained data revealed MALDI-TOF MS as a powerful tool to explore lipid signatures and the enzyme activity associated with BC and possibly establish novel disease markers.

Highlights

Breast cancer (BC) is leading at the top of women’s diseases accounting expected to reach around 3 million of diagnosed cases by 2040, according to GLOBOCAN series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) [1]
The upregulation of enzymes involved in the lipid metabolism, such as lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase, LPCAT [11,12,13], as well as phospholipase A 2, PLA2 [14, 15] was found associated with the renal, gastric and breast cancer progression
There are no studies that correlate the upregulation of the enzyme with its activity, but such study is important, because these two enzymes have the opposite activities: LPCAT synthesizes PC, and PLA2 catalyzes the hydrolysis of this glycerophospholipid and the production of LPC

Summary

Introduction

Breast cancer (BC) is leading at the top of women’s diseases accounting expected to reach around 3 million of diagnosed cases by 2040, according to GLOBOCAN series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) [1]. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (2020) 182:9–19 techniques include gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), tandem mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). In this regard, MALDI has gained popularity focusing on the global composition of lipids and their derivatives in biological systems becoming useful to search possible biomarkers for detection and prognosis of diseases [3, 4]. Overexpression of these enzymes is documented in various cancer types [11,12,13,14,15] and only for certain types, the associated changes in the glycerophospholipid composition was demonstrated

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