Circadian Variation of the Human Metabolome Captured by Real-Time Breath Analysis
P. M-L Sinues, L. Tarokh, Xue Li, M. Kohler, S. A. Brown, R. Zenobi, R. Dallmann
Circadian clocks play a significant role in the correct timing of physiological metabolism, and clock disruption might lead to pathological changes of metabolism. One interesting method to assess the current state of metabolism is metabolomics. Metabolomics tries to capture the entirety of small molecules, i.e. the building blocks of metabolism, in a given matrix …
Identifying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lung infections in mice via breath analysis using secondary electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (SESI-MS)
J-C Wolf, M. Schaer, P. Siegenthaler, R. Zenobi
A novel active capillary dielectric barrier discharge plasma ionization (DBDI) technique for mass spectrometry is applied to the direct detection of thirteen chemical warfare related compounds, including sarin, and compared to secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) in terms of selectivity and sensitivity.
Direct quantification of chemical warfare agents and related compounds at low ppt levels: comparing active capillary DBDI and SESI mass spectrometry
J-C Wolf, M. Schaer, P. Siegenthaler, R. Zenobi
A novel active capillary dielectric barrier discharge plasma ionization (DBDI) technique for mass spectrometry is applied to the direct detection of thirteen chemical warfare related compounds, including sarin, and compared to secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) in terms of selectivity and sensitivity. The investigated compounds include an intact chemical warfare agent and structurally related molecules, hydrolysis products and/or precursors of highly toxic nerve (G-series, V-series and "new" nerve agents), blistering and incapacitating warfare agents. …
Analysis of human breath samples using a modified thermal desorption: gas chromatography electrospray ionization interface
James C Reynolds, Modupe A Jimoh, Cristina Guallar-Hoyas, Colin S Creaser, Salman Siddiqui and C L Paul Thomas
A two-stage thermal desorption/secondary electrospray ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry for faster targeted breath profiling has been studied. A new secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) source was devised to constrain the thermal desorption plume and promote efficient mixing in the ionization region. Further, a chromatographic preseparation stage was introduced to suppress interferences from siloxanes associated with thermal desorption profiles of exhaled breath samples…
Fingerprinting Breast Cancer vs. Normal Mammary Cells by Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Volatiles
Jingjing He, P. M-L Sinues, M. Hollmén, Xue Li, M. Detmar & R. Zenobi
There is increasing interest in the development of noninvasive diagnostic methods for early cancer detection, to improve the survival rate and quality of life of cancer patients. Identification of volatile metabolic compounds may provide an approach for noninvasive early diagnosis of malignant diseases.
High throughput volatile fatty acid skin metabolite profiling by thermal desorption secondary electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry
Helen J. Martin,a James C. Reynolds,a Svetlana Riazanskaiab and C. L. Paul Thomas*a
The non-invasive nature of volatile organic compound (VOC) sampling from skin makes this a priority in the development of new screening and diagnostic assays. Evaluation of recent literature highlights the tension between the analytical utility of ambient ionisation approaches for skin profiling and the practicality of undertaking larger campaigns (higher statistical power), or undertaking research in remote locations. This study describes how VOC may be sampled from skin and recovered from a polydimethylsilicone sampling coupon and analysed by thermal desorption (TD) interfaced to secondary electrospray ionisation (SESI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) for the high throughput screening of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from human skin…
Rapid identification of bacteria in blood cultures by mass-spectrometric analysis of volatiles
C. Ballabio, S. Cristoni, G. Puccio, M. Kohler, M. R. Sala, P. Brambilla, P. M-L Sinues
Blood cultures are routine tests to determine whether micro-organisms have entered the patient’s bloodstream. Automated systems, based on the detection of CO2 increase in the culture media, have considerably improved the screening efficiency for the detection of bacteria. However, further identification of bacteria still requires time consuming culturing procedures.
Breath Analysis in Real Time by Mass Spectrometry in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
P. M-L Sinues, L. Meier, C. Berchtold, M.Ivanov, N. Sievi, G. Camen, M. Kohler, R. Zenobi
Background: It has been suggested that exhaled breath contains relevant information on health status. Objectives: We hypothesized that a novel mass spectrometry (MS) technique to analyze breath in real time could be useful to differentiate breathprints from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and controls (smokers and nonsmokers) …
Direct Determination of Urinary Creatinine by Reactive-Thermal Desorption-Extractive Electrospray-Ion Mobility-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Neil A. Devenport, Daniel J. Blenkhorn, Daniel J. Weston, James C. Reynolds, and Colin S. Creaser
A direct, ambient ionization method has been developed for the determination of creatinine in urine that combines derivatization and thermal desorption with extractive electrospray ionization and ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The volatility of creatinine was enhanced by a rapid on-probe aqueous acylation reaction, using a custom-made thermal desorption probe, allowing thermal desorption and ionization of the monoacylated derivative..