Plasma metabolomic analysis reveals the metabolic characteristics and potential diagnostic biomarkers of spinal tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to conduct a non-targeted metabolomic analysis of plasma from patients with spinal tuberculosis (STB) to systematically elucidate the metabolomic alterations associated with STB, and explore potential diagnostic biomarkers for STB.

METHODS: From January 2020 to January 2022, 30 patients with spinal tuberculosis (STBs) clinically diagnosed at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were selected for this study. Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) based metabolomics, we analyzed the metabolic profiles of 60 plasma samples. Statistical analyses, pathway enrichment, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to screen and evaluate potential diagnostic biomarkers.

RESULTS: Metabolomic profiling revealed distinct alterations between the STBs and HCs cohorts. A total of 1635 differential metabolites were screened, functionally clustered, and annotated. The results showed that the differential metabolites were enriched in sphingolipid metabolism, tuberculosis, cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis, beta-alanine metabolism, methane metabolism, and other pathways. Through the random forest algorithm, LysoPE (18:1(11Z)/0:0), 8-Demethyl-8-formylriboflavin 5'-phosphate, Glutaminyl-Gamma-glutamate, (2R)- O -Phospho-3-sulfolactate, and LysoPE (P-16:0/0:0) were determined to have high independent diagnostic value.

CONCLUSIONS: STBs exhibited significantly altered metabolite profiles compared with HCs. Here, we provide a global metabolomic profile and identify potential diagnostic biomarkers of STB. Five potential independent diagnostic biomarkers with high diagnostic value were screened. This study provides novel insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment strategies of STB.