Background: High resolution metabolomics (HRM) is an innovative tool to study challenging infectious diseases like leprosy, where the pathogen cannot be grown with standard methods. Here, we use HRM to better understand associations between disease manifestations, nutrition, and host metabolism.
Methods: From 2018-2019, adults with leprosy and controls were recruited in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Plasma metabolites were detected using an established HRM workflow and characterized by accurate mass m/z and retention time. The mummichog informatics package compared metabolic pathways between cases and controls and between multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy. Additionally, select individual metabolites were quantified and compared.
Results: Thirty-nine cases (62% MB and 38% PB) and 25 controls were enrolled. We found differences (p<0.05) in several metabolic pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, carnitine shuttle, retinol, vitamin D3, and C-21 steroid metabolism between cases and controls with lower retinol and associated metabolites in cases. Between MB and PB, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, tryptophan, and cortisol were all found to be lower in MB (p<0.05).
Discussion: Metabolites associated with several nutrient-related metabolic pathways appeared differentially regulated in leprosy, especially MB vs PB. This pilot study demonstrates the metabolic interdependency of these pathways, which may play a role in the pathophysiology of disease.
BT - The Journal of infectious diseases C1 -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37740551
DA - 09/2023 DO - 10.1093/infdis/jiad410 J2 - J Infect Dis LA - eng N2 -Background: High resolution metabolomics (HRM) is an innovative tool to study challenging infectious diseases like leprosy, where the pathogen cannot be grown with standard methods. Here, we use HRM to better understand associations between disease manifestations, nutrition, and host metabolism.
Methods: From 2018-2019, adults with leprosy and controls were recruited in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Plasma metabolites were detected using an established HRM workflow and characterized by accurate mass m/z and retention time. The mummichog informatics package compared metabolic pathways between cases and controls and between multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy. Additionally, select individual metabolites were quantified and compared.
Results: Thirty-nine cases (62% MB and 38% PB) and 25 controls were enrolled. We found differences (p<0.05) in several metabolic pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, carnitine shuttle, retinol, vitamin D3, and C-21 steroid metabolism between cases and controls with lower retinol and associated metabolites in cases. Between MB and PB, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, tryptophan, and cortisol were all found to be lower in MB (p<0.05).
Discussion: Metabolites associated with several nutrient-related metabolic pathways appeared differentially regulated in leprosy, especially MB vs PB. This pilot study demonstrates the metabolic interdependency of these pathways, which may play a role in the pathophysiology of disease.
PY - 2023 T2 - The Journal of infectious diseases TI - High-Resolution Plasma Metabolomics Identifies Alterations in Fatty Acid, Energy, and Micronutrient Metabolism in Adults across the Leprosy Spectrum. SN - 1537-6613 ER -