Shan-Yang Lin

FT-IR and Raman vibrational microspectroscopies used for spectral biodiagnosis of human tissues

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman vibrational microspectroscopies used for biomedical diagnosis of human tissues are reviewed from basic principle to biological applications. The advantages and disadvantages of both vibrational microspectroscopies are compared to highlight their efficiency and adaptability for noninvasively investigating the chemical compositions of ultrastructual human tissues at different disease states. Biochemical fingerprints applied to the biological samples by using FT-IR and Raman microspectroscopies are illustrated. The spectral biodiagnoses of several diseased human tissues such as ophthalmic disorders (risk factors-induced cataractous lens capsules and lens, lens and corneal calcifications, opacification and contamination of intraocular lens, vitreous asteroid bodies), alcohol-disordered human gastric mucosa, skin disorders (cancer and calcification), brain tumors (pituitary adenomas and astrocytomas), genetic hair roots disorder (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism), benign prostatic hyperplasia, and interstitial cystitis investigated by both vibrational microspectroscopies in our laboratory are introduced.

Preliminary feasibility study of FTIR microscopic mapping system for the rapid detection of the composited components of prostatic calculi.

Awareness of the chemical composition of prostatic calculi is of great importance for pathogenesis of prostatic lithiasis, the feasibility of FTIR microspectroscopic mapping system used for rapidly screening and detecting the real composited components of prostatic calculi in a short time was initially evaluated. Prostatic calculi were retrieved during transurethral resection of the prostate from nine patients diagnosed having benign prostatic hyperplasia with lower urinary tract symptoms. The level of serum prostatic-specific antigen was within 0–12.63xa0ng/ml. The calculi samples were examined and compared using FTIR microspectroscopic mapping system, or the traditional FTIR and Raman microspectroscopies. The traditional FTIR microspectroscopic results indicate that nine calculi samples mainly consisted of carbonated HA (hydroxyapatite), but calcium oxalate (undifferentiated) might be also detected in some samples. However, Raman spectral results could detect three components, HA, COM (calcium oxalate monohydrate) or COD (calcium oxalate dihydrate) separated in nine samples. Different compositions in the prostatic calculi were obtained by both spectroscopic detections with manual single-point random analysis implying that both manually traditional methods were failed to provide the real chemical composition of the prostatic calculi in a short time. The FTIR microscopic mapping system via point-by-point mapping analysis evidenced that it could rapidly detect all the complicated components distributed within the prostatic calculi rather than uncertain components detected by traditional FTIR or Raman microspectroscopy. More studies should be carried out in future. This preliminary result suggests that the FTIR mapping better characterizes the stone composition over single-point FTIR and Raman microscopic analysis in prostatic calculi.

Spectral analysis and comparison of mineral deposits forming in opacified intraocular lens and senile cataractous lens

This preliminary report was attempted to compare the chemical components of mineral deposits on the surfaces of an opacified intraocular lens (IOL) and a calcified senile cataractous lens (SCL) by vibrational spectral diagnosis. An opacified intraocular lens (IOL) was obtained from a 65-year-old male patient who had a significant decrease in visual acuity 2-years after an ocular IOL implantation. Another SCL with grayish white calcified plaque on the subcapsular cortex was isolated from a 79-year-old male patient with complicated cataract after cataract surgery. Optical light microscope was used to observe both samples and gross pictures were taken. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman microspectroscopic techniques were employed to analyze the calcified deposits. The curve-fitting algorithm using the Gaussian function was also used to quantitatively estimate the chemical components in each deposit. The preliminary results of spectral diagnosis indicate that the opacified IOL mainly consisted of the poorly crystalline, immature non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (HA) with higher content of type B carbonated apatites. However, the calcified plaque deposited on the SCL was comprised of a mature crystalline stoichiometric HA having higher contents of type A and type B carbonate apatites. More case studies should be examined in future.

Idiopathic Calcinosis Cutis in a Child: Chemical Composition of the Calcified Deposits

Idiopathic calcinosis cutis (CC) is a rare disease in a child. The chemical composition of the calcified deposits in idiopathic CC was first qualitatively and quantitatively examined using vibrational microspectroscopy via spectral diagnosis. The combined application of the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman microscopic techniques was used to detect and identify the nature of the components of the calcified deposits in idiopathic CC and to compare the results with histopathological findings. Two major components of type B carbonated apatite and β-carotene interspersing subcutaneous tissue were clearly evidenced to make up the calcified deposits in idiopathic CC in our pediatric patient. Moreover, the calcified deposits of idiopathic CC contained a relatively larger amount of type B carbonated apatite and a smaller amount of type A carbonated apatite than the calcified deposits analyzed in dystrophic CC. This is the first report on the chemical composition of calcified deposits in idiopathic CC established by spectral analysis. The combination of FT-IR and Raman microscopic techniques was very useful for simultaneous assessment of the intact components of the calcified deposits in idiopathic CC.

Infrared microspectroscopic imaging as a probing tool to fast distinguish chemical compositions in calcified deposits of prostatic calculi and calcific tendonitis

The specificity and homogeneity of the real compositional components within the calcified deposits of prostatic calculi and calcific tendonitis were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy with or without automatic imaging system. The second-derivative analysis was also applied to differentiate the overlapping components of individual spectra for the calcified samples. The FT-IR microscopic imaging results of present study indicate that the complicated components such as protein, type B or type A carbonated apatite, brushite and calcium oxalate monohydrate were contained in the calcified tissue of prostatic tissue, but the protein, type A and type B carbonated apatites were mainly included in the calcific tendonitis. However, the traditional manually single-point FT-IR spectral result only reveals a little component contained in the calcified tissues, leading to an inaccurate diagnose of the complicated components in the calcified mixture.

Spectral diagnosis and analysis of a superior vesical artery calcification

A case of urinary vessel calcification was detected incidentally in pelvic cavity of a 59-year-old man by computed tomography. The silver reticulin, actin, and hematoxylin and eosin stains were applied to diagnose the feature of vessel and confirmed that the vessel was the vesical artery. To our knowledge, this is the first report to find out the obliteration of superior vesical artery caused by calcified deposit. The calcified deposit in superior vesical artery was qualitatively identified to consist of hydroxyapatite, cholesterol and β-carotene by Fourier transform infrared and Raman microspectroscopies, in which A-type carbonated apatite was a predominate component.

Thermodynamic Study of Grinding-Induced Loratadine Inclusion Complex Formation Using Thermal Analysis and Curve-Fitted FTIR Determination

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have been considerably raised interest and attention in the pharmaceutical sciences due to their specific ability to form inclusion complexes with many drugs, leading to significant enhancements of the solubility, stability and bioavailability, as well as decrease in the bitterness and tissue irritation of the drugs (Carrier et al., 2007; Challa et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2007). Thus, CDs have been extensively applied to the pharmaceutical dosage form development for various drugs. Up-to-date, over 30 CDcontaining drug products have been commercialized on the global pharmaceutical market for clinical use (Davis & Brewster, 2004; Loftsson & Brewster, 2010).

Fast identification and differentiation of mineral components in prostate stones using a portable fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy

We report a potential application of a portable fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy for fast prostatic calculi diagnosis. A portable Raman analyzer with a fiber-optic probe was first used to identify and differentiate the mineral components of prostate stones. The study indicates that three types of stones, hydroxyapatite (HA) stone, calcium oxalate dehydrate (COD) stone and mixed stone including HA, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and COD, were directly detected from 15 patients with prostatic calculi in a short time. The present study reveals that this portable fiber-optic Raman spectroscopic technique was an easy and fast real-time tool to differentiate the mineral components in prostatic calculi.