Metabolomic Profiling of Pregnancies With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Identifies a Unique Metabolic Signature and Potential Predictive Biomarkers of Low Birth Weight

Abstract

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome with clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder. Various metabolites show significant association with PCOS; however, studies comparing the metabolic profile of pregnant women with and without PCOS are lacking. In this study, metabolomics analysis of blood samples collected from PCOS women and age and BMI matched controls in the second trimester of pregnancy was performed to identify metabolic differences between the two groups and determine their association with pregnancy outcome.MethodsSixteen PCOS and fifty-two healthy women in their second trimester underwent targeted metabolomics of plasma samples using tandem mass spectrometry with the Biocrates MxP® Quant 500 Kit. Linear regression models were used to identify the metabolic alterations associated with PCOS, followed by enrichment and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses to determine the best indicators of pregnancy outcomes.ResultsPCOS women had lower birth weight babies compared to healthy controls. As a group, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at both second trimester and at delivery negatively correlated with birth weight. Regression models indicated significant increases in the triglycerides C20:4_C34:3 and C18:2_C38:6 in the PCOS group [false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05]. Enrichment analysis revealed significant elevations in triglycerides containing arachidonic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid in the PCOS group. A number of indicators of baby birth weight were identified including SBP at delivery, hexosylceramide (d18:2/24:0), ceramide (d18.0/24.1) and serine, with an AUC for all predictors combined for low birth weight (≤2500grams) of 0.88 (95%CI: 0.75-1.005, p<0.001).ConclusionsPCOS pregnancies resulted in babies with a lower birth weight, marked by a unique metabolic signature that was enriched with specific triglycerides and unsaturated fatty acids. The functional significance of these associations needs further investigation.

Plasma Lipid Profile and Intestinal Microflora in Pregnancy Women With Hypothyroidism and Their Correlation With Pregnancy Outcomes

“…PC, LPC and PE belong to glycerophospholipid metabolites, which have been proved to be closely related to metabolic disorder in hypothyroidism patients and animal models ( 19 , 39 ). Stojanovska et al ( 40 , 41 ). showed that maternal plasma lipid metabolism disorders, especially increases in PC levels, can cause fetal growth restriction and significantly affect neonatal lipid metabolism, which is consistent with the results of this study, suggesting that PC and other lipid metabolites may play an important role in the adverse pregnancy outcomes of patients with hypothyroidism during pregnancy.…”

Altered Amino Acid Metabolome in Patients affected by HBV cirrhosis at different stages

“…Targeted metabolomics based on UPLC-MS/MS technology has been applied in many studies [14][15][16][17] .…”

Serum Amino Acid Profiles Predict the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic HBV Infection

“…Targeted metabolomics based on the UPLC-MS/MS technique has been applied in many studies. − As we know, when operating in target metabolomics, the mass spectrometer is more sensitive and obtains ion data of specific predetermined mass-to-charge ratios (M/Z) and their specific fragments. Although the targeted method generates a narrower metabolome view, researchers are more confident in the output results, because UPLC-MS/MS could identity the signals and the method can be fully validated; thus, absolute quantification is possible.…”