Release of volatile organic compounds from the lung cancer cell line NCI-H2087 in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this work was to confirm the existence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) specifically released by lung cancer cells.


METHODS
NCI-H2087 cells were trypsinized and 100 x 10(6) cells were incubated in a sealed fermenter overnight. Samples from the headspace of the culture vessel were collected with simultaneous preconcentration by adsorption on solid sorbents and subsequently thermodesorbed for analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS).


RESULTS
The results showed a significant increase in the concentration of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and 2-methylpentane in the headspace as compared with medium controls. 2-Methylpentane is also found in exhaled breath of lung cancer patients in contrast to that from healthy volunteers. Statistically significantly lower abundances of acetaldehyde, 2-methylpropanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal and butyl acetate were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate that certain compounds can be cancer cell derived and thus may be indicative of the presence of a tumor. Some compounds were not released but seem to be consumed by cancer cells.
Sponring
Andreas
A
Department of Operative Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Filipiak
Wojciech
W
Mikoviny
Tomas
T
Ager
Clemens
C
Schubert
Jochen
J
Miekisch
Wolfram
W
Amann
Anton
A
Troppmair
Jakob
J