Abstract

We investigated the differences in Fourier transform‒infrared (FT‒IR) spectra between normal and neoplastic human gastric cells. The infrared spectra derived from the cancer cells (AGS, SNU‒1, and NCI‒N87) showed a significant increase in infrared absorption in the band around 1240 cm¯1, 1120 cm¯1 and 1080 cm¯1, compared with those from the normal gastric epithelial cells we established in culture. In addition, frequency shifts of 4.6 cm¯1 and 3.8 cm¯1 were seen at the peak absorbance in the bands around 1240 cm¯1 and 1080 cm¯1, respectively. These spectral differences reflected the differences between the phosphate backbone in the normal and neoplastic human gastric cells. The present results suggest that FT‒IR spectroscopy is a potential new tool for gastric cancer diagnosis.