New Research on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Uses High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Identify Potential Biomarkers

Researchers at Henan University of Chinese Medicine have made a breakthrough in identifying potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The study, published in the Journal of Chromatography B-analytical Technologies In the Biomedical and Life Sciences, used a method called pseudotargeted lipidomics to analyze serum samples from COPD patients and identify 47 differential lipids that could serve as a potential biomarker panel for COPD diagnosis.

Key Takeaways:

• The researchers developed a method called multiplex-high-resolution mass spectrometry based pseudotargeted lipidomics (MHPL) to rapidly screen high-resolution ion pairs for constructing multiplex-HRMS-based pseudotargeted lipidomics.
• The MHPL strategy enabled the accurate quantification of 460 lipids within 5 injections and was applied in serum differential lipid discovery for COPD patients.
• The study identified 47 differential lipids that comprise a potential biomarker panel for COPD diagnosis.
• The lipid identification and quantification were conducted in the same instrument, reducing faulty peak identification and improving the accuracy of present methods.
• The researchers proposed a method for rapidly screening high-resolution ion pairs for constructing multiplex-HRMS-based pseudotargeted lipidomics (MHPL).
• The study's findings suggest that MHPL could be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of COPD.

Statistics:

• 460 lipids were quantified within 5 injections using the MHPL strategy.
• 47 differential lipids were identified as potential biomarkers for COPD diagnosis.
• The study's findings suggest that MHPL could improve the accuracy of present methods for lipid quantification.

Sources:

• Journal of Chromatography B-analytical Technologies In the Biomedical and Life Sciences (2025);1267:124809.
• Yang Xie, et al. (2025). Screening biomarkers for diagnosis of COPD by multiplex-high-resolution mass spectrometry based pseudotargeted lipidomics. Journal of Chromatography B-analytical Technologies In the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 1267, 124809.
• Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
• Yang Xie, Co-construction collaborative innovation center for Chinese medicine and respiratory diseases by Henan & education ministry of P.R. China, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.