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FTIR microspectroscopy was applied for studying macro- molecular changes in human serum samples from pa- tients with healthy livers, and those diagnosed with liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study demonstrated that the serum samples from HCC and cir- rhotic patients could readily be discriminated from those from healthy controls based on macromolecular differ- ences related to their lipid and protein structure. Spectral changes appeared to indicate that the secondary struc- ture of protein from HCC sample groups contained a more distinctive b-sheet structure and a lower lipid con- tent compared to samples from the healthy and cirrhosis group. This was correlated with measurements of large decreases in albumin levels in serum from diseased pa- tients. We argue that this technique shows potential as a simple, rapid, inexpensive, and non-subjective methodol- ogy for the screening patients suspected of liver disease.

Appear in Journal of Biophotonics

Authors: Kanjana Thumanu, Suleeporn Sangrajrang, Thiravud Khuhaprema, Anant Kalalak, Waraporn Tanthanuch, Siwatt Pongpiachan, and Philip Heraud

Citation: Kanjana Thumanu, Suleeporn Sangrajrang, Thiravud Khuhaprema, Anant Kalalak, Waraporn Tanthanuch, Siwatt Pongpiachan, and Philip Heraud. Diagnosis of liver cancer from blood sera using FTIR microspectroscopy: a preliminary study. J. Biophotonics 1–10 (2014) / DOI 10.1002/jbio.201300183.

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