최지혜 (동국대학교)

정회일 (한양대학교)

차상원 (동국대학교)

최지혜 (동국대학교)

이동훈 (동국대학교)

장은진 (한양대학교)

정회일 (한양대학교)

차상원 (동국대학교)

Bile is primarily composed of water and various metabolites generated through the physiological activity of the hepato-pancreato-biliary system. Pathological alterations in this system can lead to changes in the composition and concentration of bile constituents, making bile a valuable biological fluid for the diagnosis of diseases such as gallbladder (GB) cancer. Among ambient desorption/ionization (ADI) techniques for mass spectrometry (MS), paper spray ionization (PSI) has emerged as a rapid and direct analytical method well-suited for highly saline and complex biological samples like bile. In this study, we developed a PSI-MS method for the direct analysis of bile with minimal sample preparation to explore mass spectral features associated with GB cancer. Bile samples were collected from healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with gallstones, GB polyps, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and GB cancer. To reduce spectral complexity and enhance the detection of disease-specific ions, the PSI tip was pretreated with alum solution, and the spray solvent composition was optimized. Compared to other groups, bile samples from GB cancer patients exhibited a general reduction in overall phospholipid signals, alongside distinct increases in the relative abundances of phosphatidylcholines containing a monounsaturated fatty acid. To evaluate the diagnostic potential of these spectral features, targeted analysis was conducted using selected reaction monitoring (SRM).