Metabolomic Plasma Profile of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients
Metabolic Signature of COPD Patients Identified Through Plasma Profiling
Study Objective and Methodology
The analysis of blood metabolites may help identify individuals at risk of having COPD and offer insights into its underlying pathophysiology.
This study aimed to identify COPD-related metabolic alterations and generate a biological signature potentially useful for screening purposes.
Univariate analysis identified metabolites with significant differences between groups, and enrichment analysis highlighted the most affected metabolic pathways.
Metabolomic Alterations in COPD Patients
After adjustment for major potential confounders, 56 metabolites showed significant differences between COPD patients and controls.
The enrichment analysis revealed that COPD-associated metabolic alterations primarily involved lipid metabolism (especially fatty acids and acylcarnitines), followed by amino acid pathways and xenobiotics.
A panel of 10 metabolites, mostly related to lipid metabolism, demonstrated high discriminatory performance for COPD (ROC-AUC: 0.916; 90.1% sensitivity and 89% specificity).
Clinical Implications of the Metabolic Signature
These findings may contribute to improving screening strategies and a better understanding of COPD-related metabolic changes.
Conclusions on the Metabolic Signature of COPD Patients
In summary, the present study clearly demonstrates that there is a metabolic signature characteristic of COPD patients.
This metabolic signature is composed of fatty acids, amino acid and carbohydrate metabolites, a pseudoglycerolipid and vitamin B3, suggesting that COPD patients experience alterations in energy production, the redox balance systems and synthesis of various key molecules belonging to relevant metabolic pathways.
Therefore, it suggests new and/or complementary pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the disease, with potential implications for future therapies.
Moreover, given the current challenges related to the underdiagnosis of COPD, our results suggest that a panel of just ten metabolites could be used for screening purposes, identifying population at risk.
A subsequent forced spirometry would confirm or exclude the presence of the disease.
Authors
Carme Casadevall, Bella Agranovich, Cesar Jesse Enríquez-Rodríguez 1,2,,Rosa Faner 2,4,5ORCID,Sergi Pascual-Guàrdia 1,2, Ady Castro-Acosta, Ramon Camps-Ubach, Judith Garcia-Aymerich, Esther Barreiro, Eduard Monsó, Luis Seijo, Juan José Soler-Cataluña, Salud Santos, Germán Peces-Barba, José Luis López-Campos, Ciro Casanova, Alvar Agustí, Borja G. Cosío, Ifat Abramovich and Joaquim Gea
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Fecha de publicación
Published: 9 May 2025
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