Homocysteine (HCy) is a sulphur-containing amino acid that correlates with several maladaptive health conditions, including an enhanced risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Detection of HCy and its potentially pathogenic metabolites are studied here for the first time, to the first of our knowledge, using Raman spectroscopy. This study shows that different HCy metabolites have distinct Raman spectra and that the limits of detection reach the sub-mM level for these compounds. This investigation paves the way for photonics–based approaches for detection of HCy–related fluids as predictive biomarkers of disease in blood, which would assist in early intervention for improved clinical outcomes.

中文翻译：

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使用振动光谱法对高半胱氨酸代谢产物进行光学分析

同型半胱氨酸（HCy）是一种含硫氨基酸，与几种适应不良的健康状况相关，包括心血管疾病和神经退行性疾病的风险增加。据我们所知，这里首次使用拉曼光谱法研究了HCy及其潜在致病代谢物的检测。这项研究表明，不同的HCy代谢物具有不同的拉曼光谱，并且检测限达到这些化合物的亚mM水平。这项研究为基于光子学的方法检测HCy相关液作为血液中疾病的预测生物标志物铺平了道路，这将有助于早期干预以改善临床效果。