Profiling of Carnitine Shuttle System Intermediates in Gliomas Using Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME)

Abstract

Alterations in the carnitine shuttle system may be an indication of the presence of cancer. As such, in-depth analyses of this pathway in different malignant tumors could be important for the detection and treatment of this disease. The current study aims to assess the profiles of carnitine and acylcarnitines in gliomas with respect to their grade, the presence of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations, and 1p/19q co-deletion. Brain tumors obtained from 19 patients were sampled on-site using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) immediately following excision. Analytes were desorbed and then analyzed via liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results showed that SPME enabled the extraction of carnitine and 22 acylcarnitines. An analysis of the correlation factor revealed the presence of two separate clusters: short-chain and long-chain carnitine esters. Slightly higher carnitine and acylcarnitine concentrations were observed in the higher-malignancy tumor samples (high vs. low grade) and in those samples with worse projected clinical outcomes (without vs. with IDH mutation; without vs. with 1p/19q co-deletion). Thus, the proposed chemical biopsy approach offers a simple solution for on-site sampling that enables sample preservation, thus supporting comprehensive multi-method analyses.