# Early potential metabolic biomarkers of T1 stage lung adenocarcinoma based on serum metabolomics

## TL;DR

This study identifies four serum metabolites that could help detect early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, improving early diagnosis.

## Contribution

The study identifies four novel serum metabolites as potential biomarkers for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

## Key findings

- Serum metabolites significantly differ between T1 lung adenocarcinoma patients and healthy controls.
- Four potential biomarkers were identified with AUC values ranging from 0.795 to 0.930.
- These biomarkers could improve the sensitivity and specificity of early diagnosis.

## Abstract

This study aims to investigate serum metabolite changes in patients with early-stage (T1) lung adenocarcinoma, identify potential diagnostic biomarkers, and establish an early warning mechanism for T1 stage lung adenocarcinoma.

The study included two groups: a lung adenocarcinoma group and a healthy control group. Serum samples underwent non-targeted metabolomics analysis. Total ion chromatograms (TIC) were generated to assess system stability. Chromatographic data were analyzed using multivariate statistical methods, including principal component analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) further validated PCA findings. Variables with VIP scores >1.0 in the PLS-DA model were selected, combined with ANOVA and T-tests (P < 0.05), to identify differentially expressed metabolites. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of selected metabolites.

Serum metabolites significantly differed between the lung adenocarcinoma group and the healthy control group. Multivariate statistical analysis and ROC curve evaluation identified four potential diagnostic biomarkers: Cortisol, 3-Oxo-OPC4-CoA, PE-NMe(14:1(9Z)/14:1(9Z)), and Ceramide (d18:1/9Z-18:1), with AUC values of 0.930, 0.895, 0.890, and 0.795, respectively.

Cortisol,3-Oxo-OPC4-CoA,PE-NMe(14:1(9Z)/14:1(9Z)), and Ceramide (d18:1/9Z-18:1) exhibit significantly altered metabolic levels in T1 stage lung adenocarcinoma patients and can serve as metabolic biomarkers. These markers may enhance the sensitivity and specificity of early diagnosis, facilitating improved detection of T1 stage lung adenocarcinoma.