Serum-based biomarkers of pancreatic cancer and uses thereof for disease detection and diagnosis

An analytical method for diagnosing the risk of developing pancreatic cancer or the presence of pancreatic cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:

• a) performing a mass spectrometry assay on at least one blood sample from said patient using a Fourier transform icon cyclotron resonance, time of flight, magnetic sector, quadrupole or triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to obtain a collision induced dissociation (CID) MS/MS fragmentation pattern for one or more than one metabolite marker and to obtain quantifying data for said one or more than one metabolite marker;
• b) generating a result of said mass spectrometry assay, said result comprising at least the presence of a decrease in the level of said one or more than one metabolite marker in said blood sample based on a comparison of said quantifying data for said one or more than one metabolite marker to corresponding data obtained for one or more than one reference blood sample;
• and
• c) assigning the patient as having or not having pancreatic cancer, or having or not having a change in pancreatic cancer health state, or having or not having a risk of developing pancreatic cancer,
• wherein the one or more metabolite marker is:
• a lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) selected from the group consisting of LysoPC 14:1, LysoPC 16:0, LysoPC 16:1, LysoPC 16:2, LysoPC 18:0, LysoPC 18:1, LysoPC 18:2, LysoPC 18:3, LysoPC 20:1, LysoPC 20:2, LysoPC 20:3, LysoPC 20:4, LysoPC 20:5, LysoPC 20:6, LysoPC 22:3, LysoPC 22:4, LysoPC 22:5, LysoPC 22:6, LysoPC 24:4, LysoPC 24:6, LysoPC 30:1, LysoPC 32:0, LysoPC 32:1, LysoPC 32:2, LysoPC 32:6 and combinations thereof, wherein said LysoPCs respectively have the molecular formula:
• C22H48NO7P, C24H50NO7P, C24H48NO7P, C24H46NO7P, C26H54NO7P, C26H52NO7P, C26H50NO7P, C26H48NO7P, C28H56NO7P, C28H54NO7P, C28H52NO7P, C28H50NO7P, C28H48NO7P, C28H46NO7P, C30H56NO7P, C30H54NO7P, C30H52NO7P, C30H50NO7P, C32H58NO7P, C32H54NO7P, C38H76NO7P, C40H82NO7P, C40H80NO7P, C40H78NO7P, and C40H70NO7P;
• or
• a phosphatidylcholine having a molecular formula selected from the group consisting of C42H78NO8P, C42H80NO8P, C42H82NO8P, C42H84NO8P, C44H78NO8P, C44H80NO8P, C44H82NO8P, C44H84NO8P, C44H86NO8P, C44H88NO8P, C46H78NO8P, C46H80NO8P, C46H82NO8P, C46H84NO8P, C48H80NO8P, C48H82NO8P, C48H84NO8P, C48H86NO8P, and combinations thereof;
• or
• a plasmenylphosphocholine having a molecular formula selected from the group consisting of C42H80NO7P, C42H82NO7P, C42H84NO7P, C44H82NO7P, C44H84NO7P, C44H86NO7P, C44H88NO7P, C46H82NO7P, C46H84NO7P, C46H86NO7P, C48H84NO7P, C48H86NO7P, and combinations thereof;
• or
• a sphingomyelin having a molecular formula selected from the group consisting of C39H79N2O6P, C39H80N2O6P+, C41H81N2O6P, C41H82N2O6P+, C41H83N2O6P, C41H84N2O6P, C47H93N2O6P, C47H94N2O6P+, C47H95N2O6P, C47H96N2O6P+, and combinations thereof;
• or
• wherein the one or more metabolite marker
• has the molecular formula of C36H62O4 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 557.4, 495.4, 539.4, 513.3, 279.2, 277.2, 220.7 and 111.2;
• or
• has the molecular formula of C36H62O5 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 573.5, 511.4, 555.3, 537.4, 529.4, 519.4, 493.3, 457.4, 455.3, 443.4, 415.4, 413.3, 411.3, 399.3, 397.3, 389.7, 295.2, 279.2, 277.2, 251.2, 231.1, 223.1, 201.1, 171.1, 169.1, 125.1 and 113.1;
• or
• has the molecular formula of C36H64O5 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 575.5, 513.5, 557.5, 539.5, 531.5, 499.5, 495.5, 459.4, 417.4, 415.3, 413.3, 403.3, 295.2, 279.2, 260.2, 251.2, 197.9, 119.4, 113.1, and 97.0;
• or
• has the molecular formula of C36H66O5 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 577.5, 515.4, 559.4, 546.5, 533.5, 497.4, 419.4, 405.5, 297.2 and 281.2;
• or has the molecular formula of C36H64O6 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 591.5, 573.4, 555.4, 528.3, 511.2, 476.1, 419.3, 403.1, 387.3, 297.2, 295.2, 274.0, 255.3, 223.6, 203.5, 201.1, 171.0 and 125.3;
• or
• has the molecular formula of C36H66O6 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 593.5, 557.5, 575.4, 549.4, 531.5, 513.4, 495.4, 433.3, 421.4, 415.2, 391.4, 371.3, 315.3, 311.1, 297.2, 281.2, 277.2, 251.2, 201.1, 195.3, 171.1, 139.1 and 133.5;
• or
• has the molecular formula of C36H68O6 and is characterized by a CID MS/MS fragmentation pattern using N2 as collision gas and analyzed under negative ionization comprising the following daughter ions:
• 595.5, 559.5, 577.4, 551.4, 533.4, 515.5, 497.4, 478.4, 433.3, 423.4, 391.3, 372.3, 315.3, 313.2, 298.2, 297.2, 281.2, 279.2, 239.2, 232.9, 171.1, 169.1 and 141.1;
• including combinations thereof.