Photo Credit: Dr. Microbe
The following is a summary of “Metabolomic Characteristics of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease,” published in the February 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Kim et al.
Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), a lung infection caused by specific bacteria, presents significant treatment difficulties, creating a pressing medical need for new solutions.
Researchers started a retrospective study to investigate NTM-PD-specific metabolic pathways using serum metabolomics for understanding disease pathogenesis.
They conducted mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analyses on serum samples from 50 NTM-PD, 50 bronchiectasis, and 60 healthy individuals. Validating selected metabolites through an additional cohort, they applied pathway analysis and modeled classifications.
The results showed elevated levels of leucine, tyrosine, inosine, proline, 5-oxoproline, and hypoxanthine in the NTM-PD group compared to healthy controls. Additionally, antioxidant metabolites (ferulic acid, α-lipoic acid, biotin, and 2,8-phenazinediamine) decreased in NTM-PD patients, linked to arginine- and proline-related metabolism and reactive oxygen species generation. Notably, similar metabolic changes were observed in the bronchiectasis group.
Investigators concluded that NTM-PD patients identified 11 metabolites associated with oxidative stress, offering valuable insights into disease development and potentially paving the way for new therapies.
Source: academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae100/7614181