title: Metabolomics approach to thyroid nodules: a high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of operative specimens has been reported to successfully differentiate normal tissue from malignant thyroid tissue. We used a new high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique for the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histological specimens from 72 patients undergoing a total thyroidectomy were processed into a 4-mm ZrO(2) high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) rotor with 5 μL of D(2)O. A Bruker Avance spectrometer operating at 400 MHz for the (1)H frequency and equipped with a (1)H/(13)C/(31)P HRMAS probe was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal and neoplastic thyroid tissues could be discriminated from each other by different relative concentrations of several amino acids and lipids, as well as benign and malignant neoplasms, that differed in terms of a greater lactate and taurine and a lesser lipid choline, phosphocholine, myo-inositol, and scyllo-inositol levels in malignant samples. A statistical analysis with a receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that 77% of the samples were accurately predicted. Similar results were obtained with specimens obtained from ex vivo aspirates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A further development of this project will be to use the metabolomics approach on specimens obtained from aspirates in vivo after the resolution of technical problems attributable to possible contamination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. p.miccoli@med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: Liborio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torregrossa
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shintu
authors.forename: Alviclér
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magalhaes
authors.forename: JimaNambiath
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: Aura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tintaru
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ugolini
authors.forename: Michele N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Minuto
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basolo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caldarelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D055432:Metabolomics; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult