Characterization of human skin emanations by Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) extraction of volatiles and subsequent analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Abstract

An experimental study was performed to develop and validate a collection and analysis protocol for human skin emanations. The protocol developed included the rubbing of glass beads on the palms and backs of hands for 20 minutes. The volatile headspace above samples were extracted by a solid-phase microextraction fiber which incorporated a composite coating of liquid polymer matrix and solid porous particles. This protocol provided robust and convenient signatures of human skin emanations and was applied to two experiments for validation. In one experiment, a set of twins donated samples and results suggested qualitative differences between samples of twins. The second experiment involved collections from four unrelated individuals over a period of one month. Multivariate analysis was applied to this data set and indicated a stable signature that can be ascribed to the individual, confirming that the protocol developed here can be extended to larger sample sets of MHC typed individuals.