Real-time ultrasensitive VUV-PIMS detection of representative endogenous volatile markers in cancers

Background Identifying endogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as markers for different cancers currently requires time-consuming procedures and specialized operators. Objective The objective of this study was to develop a rapid and simple method for measuring VOCs at trace levels. Methods A simple vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer (VUV-PIMS) was used to detect trace levels of dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and 2-butanone, which correspond to volatile biomarker candidates present in the exhaled breath of patients with breast, liver, and lung cancers, respectively. The practicality of measuring endogenous VOCs using VUV-PIMS was confirmed by detecting them in cultured cell lines. Results The abovementioned VOCs were detected with high sensitivity by VUV-PIMS. The limits of detection (LODs) for DMTS, DMS, and 2-butanone were 3.1, 3.9, and 23.2 pptv, respectively, under ambient conditions, which surpass the sensitivity of nearly all other MS-based techniques. Moreover, relatively high concentrations of 2-butanone and DMS were observed in VOCs emitted from the A549 lung cancer cell line and the HepG2 liver cancer cell line, respectively. Conclusions Our results show that VUV-PIMS may serve as a reliable method for real-time measurement of endogenous volatile cancer biomarkers.