Citation:

O’Lenick, C., J. Pleil, M. Stiegel, J. Sobus, AND A. Wallace. Detection and analysis of endogenous polar volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) in urine for human exposome research. BIOMARKERS. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 24(3):240-248, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1080/1354750X.2018.1548031

Impact/Purpose:

This paper presents a novel approach to measuring PVOCs in urine. The overarching analytical method was adapted from Pleil et al. [26], where a similar methodology was used to measure PVOCs from exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Our impetus for adapting a passive diffusion transfer method to urine is to develop an extraction and detection method that can be executed quickly and with relative ease in most analytical labs. Secondary goals of developing a detection method for urinary PVOCs was to identify endogenous volatiles commonly found in human urine across a diverse population and to augment the database on baseline levels of PVOCs. Ultimately, understanding the biomarker content, distributions, patterns, and typical levels in different media will allow researchers to assess individuals with outlier responses, develop knowledge of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs), and develop intervention strategies to protect public and environmental health [27-30].

Description:

Background: The human exposome, defined as “…everything that is not the genome”, comprises all chemicals in the body interacting with life processes. The exposome drives genes x environment (GxE) interactions that can cause long-term latency and chronic diseases. The exposome constantly changes in response to external exposures and internal metabolism. Different types of compounds are found in different biological media. Objective: Measure polar volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) excreted in urine to document endogenous metabolites and exogenous compounds from environmental exposures. Methods: Use headspace collection and sorbent tube thermal desorption coupled with bench-top gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for targeted and non-targeted approaches. Identify and categorize PVOCs that may distinguish among healthy and affected individuals. Results: Method is successfully demonstrated to tabulate a series of 28 PVOCs detected in human urine across 120 samples from 28 human subjects. Median concentrations range from below detect to 165 ng/ml. Certain PVOCs have potential health implications. Conclusions: Headspace collection with sorbent tubes is an effective method for documenting PVOCs in urine that are otherwise difficult to measure. This methodology can provide probative information regarding biochemical processes and adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for toxicity testing.

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