Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis exhibit a specific metabolomic and lipidomic profile

Background For disease monitoring in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), accurate biomarkers are a prerequisite for individual disease characterization and personalized therapy. This study introduces metabolic profiling in serum samples of patients with PSC as a promising approach for biomarker determination. The study aimed to characterize metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in serum samples of patients with PSC, IBD, and other extraintestinal manifestations (EIM), as well as healthy controls (HC).

Method Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analysis was performed in serum samples of 33 patients with PSC compared with 40 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted HC and 64 patients with IBD and other EIM. Classification of patients was performed using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and univariate and multivariate analysis methods.

Results Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences in metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in patients with PSC, IBD with other EIM, and HC. Lipidome profiles of patients with PSC showed increased levels of IDL particles, IDL ApoB, and free VLDL-4 cholesterol compared with IBD/EIM and HC. In addition, lipids bound to VLDL-4, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids, were increased in PSC compared with HC. Furthermore, increased pyruvic acid concentrations were found in both PSC and IBD/EIM patients compared to HC.

Conclusion Here, we describe for the first time specific metabolic fingerprints in serum samples of patients with PSC. These findings contribute to the differentiation of PSC patients from HC and patients with IBD and EIM, improving personalized therapeutic approaches and enhancing diagnostic confidence.

Publication History

Article published online:
23 January 2024