Metabolomic Analysis of Human Vitreous in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Associated With Choroidal Detachment

Our aim was to identify obvious different metabolites and metabolic pathways to elucidate the etiology of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with choroidal detachment (RRDCD) so as to provide direction toward diagnosis and treatment of RRDCD.

We used a liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight/mass spectrometer (LC-Q-TOF/MS) to obtain the metabolome from the vitreous tissue of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and RRDCD. The metabolomes from 29 samples (14 from RRD patients and 15 from RRDCD patients) were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). A one-way analysis of variance with a Bonferroni correction was used to test significance. The Biofluid Metabolites Database and Human Metabolome Database were used to identify ions.

The PLS-DA identified 265 (variable importance in the project >1) ions whose levels were significantly different in vitreous from patients with RRD and RRDCD. Among the 265 ions, 24 (23 observed in the positive mode and 1 observed in the negative mode) were identified by searching MS and MS/MS fragments in the Biofluid Metabolites Database and Human Metabolome Database. Metabolites found were associated with pathways related to proliferation, inflammatory reactions, and hemodynamic changes.

Metabolites have been identified that were present in vitreous at significantly different levels between RRDCD and RRD. These metabolites are likely to be involved in the pathology of each disease and may potentially be used to diagnose and treat RRDCD and RRD.