LC/MS-Based Untargeted Metabolomics Study in Women with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Associated with Morbid Obesity

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 12; p. 9789
• Main Authors: Bertran, Laia, Capellades, Jordi, Abelló, Sonia, Durán-Bertran, Joan, Aguilar, Carmen, Martinez, Salomé, Sabench, Fàtima, Correig, Xavier, Yanes, Oscar, Auguet, Teresa, Richart, Cristóbal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-06-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomarkers - metabolism; Cholesterol; Comparative analysis; Diagnosis; Diglycerides; Fatty acids; Fatty liver; Female; Health aspects; Histology; Humans; Linoleic acid; lipidomics; Lipids; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Liver diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic pathways; Metabolites; Metabolomics; Metabolomics - methods; morbid obesity; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - metabolism; Oxidation; Patients; Phosphatidylethanolamine; Phospholipids; Principal components analysis; Sphingomyelin; Steatosis; Type 2 diabetes; Unsaturated fatty acids; Womens health; Spain; morbid obesity; nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; metabolomics; lipidomics
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129789

This study investigated the importance of a metabolomic analysis in a complex disease such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) associated with obesity. Using an untargeted metabolomics technique, we studied blood metabolites in 216 morbidly obese women with liver histological diagnosis. A total of 172 patients were diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and 44 were diagnosed with normal liver (NL). Patients with NAFLD were classified into simple steatosis (
= 66) and NASH (
= 106) categories. A comparative analysis of metabolites levels between NASH and NL demonstrated significant differences in lipid metabolites and derivatives, mainly from the phospholipid group. In NASH, there were increased levels of several phosphatidylinositols and phosphatidylethanolamines, as well as isolated metabolites such as diacylglycerol 34:1, lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine 20:3 and sphingomyelin 38:1. By contrast, there were decreased levels of acylcarnitines, sphingomyelins and linoleic acid. These findings may facilitate identification studies of the main pathogenic metabolic pathways related to NASH and may also have a possible applicability in a panel of metabolites to be used as biomarkers in future algorithms of the disease diagnosis and its follow-up. Further confirmatory studies in groups with different ages and sexes are necessary.