Mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics study of non-obese individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Objectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat in the liver, which can lead to fibrosis and has an increasing prevalence. NAFLD requires non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers. While typically observed in overweight individuals, it can also occur in non-obese/non-overweight individuals. Comparative studies on non-obese NAFLD patients are scarce. This study aimed to conduct a using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolic profiling of non-obese NAFLD patients and healthy controls.

Materials and methods

The patient group consisted of 27 individuals with NAFLD, while the healthy control group included 39 individuals. Both groups were between 18 and 40 years old, had a BMI of less than 25 and had alcohol consumption less than 20 g/week for men and 10 g/week for women. Serum samples were collected and analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The data were analyzed using the TidyMass and MetaboAnalyst.

Results

The LC-MS/MS analyses detected significant changes in D-amino acid metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism, apoptosis, mTOR signaling pathway, lysine degradation, and phenylalanine metabolism pathways in non-obese NAFLD patients. Significant changes were also observed in the metabolites D-pantothenic acid, hypoxanthine, citric acid, citramalic acid, L-phenylalanine, glutamine, and histamine-trifluoromethyl-toluidide, β-hydroxymyristic acid, DL-Lactic acid, and 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the metabolic changes associated with non-obese NAFLD patients and can contribute to the development of non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for NAFLD.

Conclusions

This study sheds light on the metabolic changes in non-obese NAFLD patients. Further research is needed to better understand the metabolic changes associated with NAFLD and to develop effective treatment options.

Keywords:

• Metabolomics
• non-obese
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• nafld
• metabolites

Acknowledgments

The study was conducted with the support and funding provided by the Scientific Research Projects Unit of Bezmialem Vakif University (Istanbul/Türkiye). We would like to express our gratitude to Ahmet Balcı, Şule Yalçın, and Tağı Polat for their invaluable assistance during the experimental procedures.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Bezmialem Vakıf Üniversitesi.