Serum metabolomic signatures associated with gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma: A dual-platform mass spectrometry study.
- 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China.
- 2Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, P.R. China.
- 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, Nanjing Medical University, Artux, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region 845350, P.R. China.
Abstract
Gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma (GSRCC), a distinct subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma, is associated with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. The metabolic landscape remains poorly understood and non-invasive biomarkers for early detection are limited. The present study aimed to explore the metabolic signatures for GSRCC using metabolomics profiling. Serum samples from 8 treatment-naive patients with GSRCC and 10 healthy controls were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differential metabolites were identified through multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) with a criteria of variable importance in projection >1, q<0.05 (Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction) and log₂ fold change >0.58. Metabolic pathway enrichment was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Key metabolites associated with routine clinical biochemistry parameters were analyzed in an independent cohort (35 patients with GSRCC and 35 controls). A total of 68 differential metabolites were identified (25 upregulated and 43 downregulated), predominantly comprising of phospholipids and amino acids. Pathway enrichment revealed significant alterations in 'choline metabolism in cancer', 'glycerophospholipid metabolism', 'pentose and glucuronate interconversions' and 'arginine biosynthesis' (all P<0.05; q<0.05). Among the enriched pathway-associated metabolites, phosphatidylcholine [PC(20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) acyl ester showed the most significant differences (q<0.05) and demonstrated area under the curve values exceeding 0.80 (0.89 and 0.99, respectively). Patients with GSRCC exhibited significantly lower levels of cholinesterase, total protein, albumin and hemoglobin compared with controls (all P<0.01). Overall, the present study identified serum metabolomic alterations in GSRCC, highlighting the key role of choline and glycerophospholipid metabolism, with PC[20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and DHAP acyl ester representing exploratory candidate metabolic signatures associated with GSRCC, providing a foundation for future biomarker discovery.
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BibTeX
@article{cao2026serum,
title = {{Serum metabolomic signatures associated with gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma: A dual-platform mass spectrometry study.}},
author = {Huiling Cao and Shuwei Guo and Jinchang Li and Yuying Bian and Jianjiang Shen and Jia Wang and Fei Meng and Wenlu Sun and Qingmin Sun and Wanjian Gu},
journal = {Oncology letters},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3892/ol.2026.15900},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923593},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serum metabolomic signatures associated with gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma: A dual-platform mass spectrometry study.
AU - Huiling Cao
AU - Shuwei Guo
AU - Jinchang Li
AU - Yuying Bian
AU - Jianjiang Shen
AU - Jia Wang
AU - Fei Meng
AU - Wenlu Sun
AU - Qingmin Sun
AU - Wanjian Gu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Oncology letters
DO - 10.3892/ol.2026.15900
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923593
AB - Gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma (GSRCC), a distinct subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma, is associated with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. The metabolic landscape remains poorly understood and non-invasive biomarkers for early detection are limited. The present study aimed to explore the metabolic signatures for GSRCC using metabolomics profiling. Serum samples from 8 treatment-naive patients with GSRCC and 10 healthy controls were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differential metabolites were identified through multivariate statistical analysis (principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) with a criteria of variable importance in projection >1, q<0.05 (Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate correction) and log₂ fold change >0.58. Metabolic pathway enrichment was performed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Key metabolites associated with routine clinical biochemistry parameters were analyzed in an independent cohort (35 patients with GSRCC and 35 controls). A total of 68 differential metabolites were identified (25 upregulated and 43 downregulated), predominantly comprising of phospholipids and amino acids. Pathway enrichment revealed significant alterations in 'choline metabolism in cancer', 'glycerophospholipid metabolism', 'pentose and glucuronate interconversions' and 'arginine biosynthesis' (all P<0.05; q<0.05). Among the enriched pathway-associated metabolites, phosphatidylcholine [PC(20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) acyl ester showed the most significant differences (q<0.05) and demonstrated area under the curve values exceeding 0.80 (0.89 and 0.99, respectively). Patients with GSRCC exhibited significantly lower levels of cholinesterase, total protein, albumin and hemoglobin compared with controls (all P<0.01). Overall, the present study identified serum metabolomic alterations in GSRCC, highlighting the key role of choline and glycerophospholipid metabolism, with PC[20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:2(11Z,14Z)] and DHAP acyl ester representing exploratory candidate metabolic signatures associated with GSRCC, providing a foundation for future biomarker discovery.
SN - 1792-1074
SN - 1792-1082
ER -