Metabolomic Exploration of Colorectal Cancer Through Amino Acids and Acylcarnitines Profiling of Serum Samples
Lucreția Avram, Dana Crișan, Radu-Cristian Moldovan, Luisa-Gabriela Bogos, Cristina Adela Iuga, David Andraș, Sorin Crişan, Constantin Bodolea, Andrada Nemeș, Valer Donca
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, with high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to observe and understand the metabolic changes in CRC through targeted metabolomics. METHODS: Samples collected from 58 CRC patients and 35 healthy individuals have been analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), targeting two classes of metabolites: amino acids and acylcarnitines. RESULTS: -value < 0.01; |FC| > 1.2) metabolites in CRC patients compared to the control group and 22 between colon cancer and control, whereas 8 metabolites differed only significantly between rectal cancer and healthy patients. Some of these significantly modified metabolites characterize cancer-specific adaptations, such as increased energy demand, increased tumor invasiveness, capabilities to promote amino acid synthesis, and tumor resistance against acute immune response. Moreover, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that a set of two acylcarnitines (C6DC and C4-OH) can differentiate between CRC patients and healthy individuals with a high degree of confidence (AUC 0.837). CONCLUSIONS: By implementing a metabolomics approach targeting amino acids and acylcarnitines, several metabolic alterations induced by CRC have been highlighted. Even though these modifications are not specific enough to act as disease markers, they might prove useful for evaluating patient status.