Investigation of volatile organic metabolites in lung cancer pleural effusions by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method was applied for the investigation of low molecular weight volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) in pleural effusion samples. Three important HS-SPME experimental parameters that influence extraction efficiency (fiber coating, extraction time and temperature of sampling) were optimized by a univariate optimization design. The highest extraction efficiency was obtained when sampling was performed at 50°C for 10min under agitation using a carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fiber.