Lysophospholipids (lyso-PLs), including various
glycerol-based and
sphingosine-based
lysophospholipids, play important roles in many biochemical, physiological, and
pathological processes. The classical methods to analyze these
lipids involve gas chromatography and/or high-performance liquid chromatography, which are time-consuming, cumbersome, and sometimes inaccurate due to the incomplete separation of closely related
lipid species. We now describe the quantitative analysis of lyso-PLs in
ascites samples from patients with
ovarian cancer using electrospray ionization spectrometry. Three new classes of lyso-PL molecules are detected: alkyl-LPA, alkenyl-LPA, and methylated
lysophosphatidylethanolamine. Importantly, the following
lysophospholipid species are significantly increased in
ascites from patients with
ovarian cancer, compared to patients with nonmalignant diseases (e.g.,
liver failure): LPA (including acyl-, alkyl-, and alkenyl-LPA species),
lysophosphatidylinositol, and
sphingosylphosphorylcholine. Lysophosphorylcholine contents are also significantly different among ascitic fluids from the two groups of patients. However, the total
phosphate content in
ascites samples from patients with
ovarian cancer is not significantly different compared to that from patients with nonmalignant disease.