Table 2.
Summary of illustrative mass spectrometry-based metabolomic findings in hepatocellular carcinoma from studies published in 2022 or 2023.
| Publication | n | Sample | Technique | Main MS Findings in HCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Li et al. [61] | HCC: 200 CHB: 200 |
Plasma | LC-MS | Phosphatidylcholines significantly downregulated |
| Li et al. [62] | HCC: 68 LC: 33 HC: 34 |
Serum | LC-MS | Alterations of the levels of five metabolites: taurochenodeoxycholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholate, ouabain, theophylline, and xanthine |
| Liu et al. [63] | HCC: 104 LC: 76 HC: 10 |
Plasma | GC-MS | Increased: trans–trans-muconic acid and oxoglutaric acid * Decreased: montanic acid, oleamide, triethylene glycol, 2-picolinic acid, heptaethylene glycol *, N-formylglycine *, citrulline *, and 4-(dimethylamino)azobenzene |
| Fan et al. [64] | HCC: 43 HC: 47 |
Urine | APGD-MS |
Increased: acetic acid, creatine, propionic acid, glycolic acid, cyanoacetic acid, nicotinic acid, heptenoic acid, L-pyroglutamic acid, L-ornithine, perillic acid, and N-acetyltaurine |
| Yue et al. [65] | Discovery: HCC+T2D: 19 T2D: 32 Test: HCC+T2D: 64 T2D: 96 HC: 94 |
Serum | LC-MS/MS | Increased: 8,15-dihydroxy-5,9,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (8,15-DiHETE), hexadecanedioic acid (HDA) *, 15-keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin A2 (DHK-PGA2) *, and octadecanedioic acid |
| Morine et al. [66] | HCC: 20 | Tissue and serum | CE-MS | Tissue: increased leucine, valine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, lysine, and phenylalanine Serum: increased leucine, valine, and tryptophan |
| Qu et al. [67] | HCC: 57 HC: 76 |
serum | SALDI-MS | A total of 14 lipids containing different lipid types (TAG, CE, PC) were selected as potential lipidomic biomarkers |
| Liu et al. [68] | Discovery: HCC: 52 HC: 59 Validation: HCC: 50 HC: 50 |
Serum (portal vein and central), tissue, and stool | LC-MS | Tissue and portal vein serum: increased DL-3-phenyllactic acid, L-tryptophan, glycocholic acid, and 1-methylnicotinamide; Portal vein and stool: decreased linoleic acid and phenol |
| Wu et al. [69] | HCC: 93 CHB: 136 |
Serum | LC-MS/MS | Increased: phenylalanine, tyrosine ratio, and the kynurenine-to-tryptophan ratio Decreased: leucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, serotonin, taurine, and tryptophan ratio, BCAA/aromatic amino acids ratio, BCAAs/tyrosine ratio, Fischer’s ratio, and serotonin-to-tryptophan ratio |
| Pan et al. [70] | HCC: 30 LH: 29 CHB: 30 |
Serum | LC-MS | Increased: taurodeoxycholic acid * and 1,2-diacyl-3-β-d-galactosyl-sn-glycerol * Decreased: 5-hydroxy-6E,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z-eicosapentaenoic acid and glycyrrhizic acid * |
* Selected to be included in the statistical model in the study to discriminate HCC from non-HCC. APGD-MS: Atmospheric pressure glow discharge mass spectrometry; BCAA: branched-chain amino acids; CE: cholesteryl; CE-MS: capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry; CHB: chronic hepatitis B carrier; GC-MS: gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; HC: healthy control; HCC hepatocellular carcinoma; LC: liver cirrhosis; LC-MS: liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry; PC: phosphatidylcholine; and TAG: triacylglyceride.