Gastric cancer (GAS) is one of the malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal system. Alterations in metabolite composition can reflect pathological processes of GAS and constitute a basis for diagnosis and treatment improvements. In this study, a total of 301 serum samples from 150 GAS patients at different tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages and 151 healthy controls were collected. Mass spectrometry platforms were performed to investigate the changes in GAS-related metabolites and explore the new potential serum biomarkers and the metabolic dysregulation associated with GAS progression. Twelve differential metabolites (ethyl 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-2-acetate, D-urobilinogen, 14-HDoHE, 13-hydroxy-9-methoxy-10-oxo-11-octadecenoic acid, 5,6-dihydroxyprostaglandin F1a, 9'-carboxy-gamma-tocotrienol, glutaric acid, alanine, tyrosine, C18:2(FFA), adipic acid, and suberic acid) were identified to establish the diagnosis model for GAS. The defined biomarker panel was also statistically significant for GAS progression with different TNM stages. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment revealed the metabolic dysregulation associated with GAS progression. In conclusion, a diagnostic panel was established and validated, which could be used to further stage the early and advanced GAS patients from healthy controls. These findings may provide useful information for explaining the GAS metabolic alterations and try to facilitate the characterization of GAS patients in the early stage.
Keywords: cancer staging; gastric cancer; mass spectrometry platform; metabolic change.