Cerumenogram: a new frontier in cancer diagnosis in humans.

Cancer is the deadliest human disease and the development of new diagnosis methods is important to increase the chances of a cure. In this work it was developed a new method, named here for the first time as cerumenogram, using cerumen (earwax) as a new biomatrix for diagnosis. Earwax samples collected from cancer patients (cancer group) and cancer-free patients (control group) were analyzed by Headspace/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS/GC-MS), following with multivariate analysis steps to process the raw data generated.

Earwax metabolomics: An innovative pilot metabolic profiling study for assessing metabolic changes in ewes during periparturition period.

Important metabolic changes occur during transition period of late pregnancy and early lactation to meet increasing energy demands of the growing fetus and for milk production. The aim of this investigation is to present an innovative and non-invasive tool using ewe earwax sample analysis to assess the metabolic profile in ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation. In this work, earwax samples were collected from 28 healthy Brazilian Santa Inês ewes divided into 3 sub-groups: 9 non-pregnant ewes, 6 pregnant ewes in the last 30 days of gestation, and 13 lactating ewes ≤ 30 days postpartum.

Earwax: A neglected body secretion or a step ahead in clinical diagnosis? A pilot study.

Unlabelled: This work combines the advantages of volatile metabolites profiling as a young growing research field with a non-invasive sampling technique using earwax "a neglected body secretion" for detection and monitoring of biomarkers for diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2). Earwax samples were collected from 26 diabetic patients of both types, analyzed by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry and confronted to the volatile earwax composition of 33 healthy individuals. Data mining analysis was conducted using different models to discriminate the healthy individuals from the diabetic patients and to discriminate between both types of diabetes as well.