title: Serum lipidomic profiling as a useful tool for screening potential biomarkers of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as late diagnosis is the main factor for the poor survival of patients. There is an urgent need for accurate biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC. The aim of the study was to explore the serum lipidome profiles of hepatitis B-related HCC to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ultraperformance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) lipidomic method was used to characterize serum profiles from HCC (n = 32), liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 30), CHB (n = 25), and healthy subjects (n = 34). Patients were diagnosed by clinical laboratory and imaging evidence and all presented with CHB while healthy controls had normal liver function and no infectious diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The UPLC-MS-based serum lipidomic profile provided more accurate diagnosis for LC patients than conventional alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) detection. HCC patients were discriminated from LC with 78 % sensitivity and 64 % specificity. In comparison, AFP showed sensitivity and specificity of 38 % and 93 %, respectively. HCC was differentiated from CHB with 100 % sensitivity and specificity using the UPLC-MS approach. Identified lipids comprised glycerophosphocolines, glycerophosphoserines and glycerophosphoinositols.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UPLC-MS lipid profiling proved to be an efficient and convenient tool for diagnosis and screening of HCC in a high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 781 Pedro de Toledo Street, 15th floor, Sao Paulo, SP, 04039032, Brazil. anampassos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Passos-Castilho
authors.affiliation: Fleury Group, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. valdemir.carvalho@grupofleury.com.br.
authors.forename: Valdemir Melechco
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Fleury Group, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. karina.cardozo@grupofleury.com.br.
authors.forename: Karina Helena Morais
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. lu1912@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. alinechagas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aline Lopes
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chagas
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. gomesmic@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Michele Soares
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gomes-Gouvêa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. femalta@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. ana.cssn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Catharina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Seixas-Santos Nastri
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. jrrpinho@usp.br.
authors.forename: João Renato Rebello
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sao Paulo Clinicas Liver Cancer Group, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. fjcarril@usp.br.
authors.forename: Flair José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carrilho
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Sao Paulo, 781 Pedro de Toledo Street, 15th floor, Sao Paulo, SP, 04039032, Brazil. celso.granato@grupofleury.com.br.|Fleury Group, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. celso.granato@grupofleury.com.br.
authors.forename: Celso Francisco Hernandes
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Granato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008055:Lipids