Noninvasive diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus by hair analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)

Abstract

Currently, the reference method for diagnosing the pathology of diabetes is the measurement of glycated hemoglobin HbA1c. As a major public health problem, as categorized by the World Health Organization, the need to develop new techniques that are more accessible, especially for developing countries, is necessary. The objective of this work is to propose a new technique based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) using the essential minerals calcium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc in hair as biomarkers for the screening of type 2 diabetes. The study involved 130 women: 24 were classified as low-level diabetics with a glycated hemoglobin HbA1c <7% and 56 were classified as high-level diabetics with an HbA1c >7% after clinical tests were performed at the Habib Thameur Hospital in Tunis. The other 50 women were healthy and used as controls. The correlation of the mineral concentrations in the hair with the values of glycated hemoglobin allow an economical and rapid detection of the disease. The results showed a strong negative correlation between the levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc with the HbA1c values and a strong positive correlation between the intensity of the sodium lines and HbA1c. These results allowed the discrimination of the three groups in the cohort, offering a new approach to quickly classify the patients involved in a screening campaign. In addition, the strong correlation between laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and the front face fluorescence spectroscopy (FFFS), previously applied on the same samples, may help identify the source of the fluorescence spectra. All of these results support the use of LIBS upon hair to evaluate minerals as effective biomarkers for the detection of type II diabetes to be a promising approach.

Keywords:

• Hair analysis
• laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
• principal component analysis (PCA)
• Spearman correlation analysis

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Funding

This project did not receive a specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Statement of ethical approval

The group interviews were performed in the internal medicine department at Habib Thameur Hospital in Tunis where the participants were welcomed to explain the progress of the study and reassure them of the anonymity and respect of rules of medical ethics. The ethics committee of Habib Thameur Hospital signed a certificate stating that all information related to the project was confidential and all data collected by the survey would remain anonymous.

Consent for publication

The method of obtaining consent is specified, for example, patient consent form was obtained for participation in this project. The objectives were clearly presented and participation was voluntary and the protection of personal data related to privacy and health was ensured. An agreement form showing consent to participate in the study was signed by each participant.

Author contributions

Imen Cherni: experimental investigation, methodology, formal analysis, writing original draft. Mohamed Nakkach: experimental investigation, methodology - review. Hassen Ghalila: formal analysis, resources, writing - review and editing. Rihem Nouir: experimental investigation, review. Mehdi Somaï: biological measurements, sample collection, review. Sami Hamzaoui: project administration, review. Fatma Daoud: sample collection. Fatma Boussema: project administration. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.