Urinary Volatiles and Chemical Characterisation for the Non-Invasive Detection of Prostate and Bladder Cancers

Bladder cancer (BCa) and prostate cancer (PCa) are some of the most common cancers in the world. In both BCa and PCa, the diagnosis is often confirmed with an invasive technique that carries a risk to the patient. Consequently, a non-invasive diagnostic approach would be medically desirable and beneficial to the patient. The use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for disease diagnosis, including cancer, is a promising research area that could support the diagnosis process. In this study, we investigated the urinary VOC profiles in BCa, PCa patients and non-cancerous controls by using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) to analyse patient samples. GC-IMS separated BCa from PCa (area under the curve: AUC: 0.97 (0.93–1.00)), BCa vs. non-cancerous (AUC: 0.95 (0.90–0.99)) and PCa vs. non-cancerous (AUC: 0.89 (0.83–0.94)) whereas GC-TOF-MS differentiated BCa from PCa (AUC: 0.84 (0.73–0.93)), BCa vs. non-cancerous (AUC: 0.81 (0.70–0.90)) and PCa vs. non-cancerous (AUC: 0.94 (0.90–0.97)). According to our study, a total of 34 biomarkers were found using GC-TOF-MS data, of which 13 VOCs were associated with BCa, seven were associated with PCa, and 14 VOCs were found in the comparison of BCa and PCa.

Urinary Volatiles and Chemical Characterisation for the Non-invasive Detection of Prostate and Bladder Cancers

Bladder cancer (BLC) and Prostate cancer (PC) are some of the most common cancers in the world, both having low five-year survival rates. In both BLC and PC, the diagnosis is often confirmed with an invasive technique that carries a risk to the patient. Consequently, a non-invasive diagnostic approach in these cancers would be medically desirable. The use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for disease diagnosis, including cancer, is a promising research area that could support the diagnosis process. In this study, we investigated the urinary VOC profiles in BLC, PC patients and non-cancerous controls by using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC–IMS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) to analyse patient samples. GC-IMS separated BLC from PC (AUC: 0.97 (0.93-1.00)), BLC Vs Non-cancerous (AUC: 0.95 (0.90-0.99).) and PC Vs Non-cancerous (AUC: 0.89 (0.83-0.94)) whereas GC-TOF-MS differentiated BLC from PC (AUC: 0.84 (0.73-0.93) BLC Vs Non-cancerous (AUC: 0.81 (0.70-0.90)) and PC vs Non-cancerous (AUC: 0.94 (0.90-0.97)). According to our study, a total of 34 biomarkers were found using GC-TOF-MS data, of which 13 VOCs were associated with BLC, 7 were associated with PC and 14 VOCs were found in the comparison of BLC and PC.

Identification of potential chemosignals in the European water vole Arvicola terrestris

The water vole Arvicola terrestris is endemic to Europe where its outbreak generates severe economic losses for farmers. Our project aimed at characterising putative chemical signals used by this species, to develop new sustainable methods for population control that could also be used for this species protection in Great Britain. The water vole, as well as other rodents, uses specific urination sites as territorial and sex pheromone markers, still unidentified. Lateral scent glands and urine samples were collected from wild males and females caught in the field, at different periods of the year. Their volatile composition was analysed for each individual and not on pooled samples, revealing a specific profile of flank glands in October and a specific profile of urinary volatiles in July. The urinary protein content appeared more contrasted as males secrete higher levels of a lipocalin than females, whenever the trapping period. We named this protein arvicolin. Male and female liver transcript sequencing did not identify any expression of other odorant-binding protein sequence. This work demonstrates that even in absence of genome, identification of chemical signals from wild animals is possible and could be helpful in strategies of species control and protection.