High-Resolution Plasma Metabolomics and Thiamine Status in Critically Ill Adult Patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Metabolomics
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Thiamine (Vitamin B1) is vital for energy metabolism.
• Understanding thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) associations with plasma metabolites is crucial for critically ill patients.

Approach:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted at two international sites.
• High-resolution metabolomics analyzed plasma samples from 76 critically ill patients.
• Whole blood TPP concentrations were measured and correlated with plasma metabolites.

Key Points:

• TPP levels were associated with pentose phosphate, fructose/mannose, branched-chain amino acid, arginine/proline, linoleate, and butanoate pathways.
• Metabolomic analysis revealed significant links between TPP and energy, amino acid, and lipid metabolism.
• Associations were observed with gut microbiome-related metabolites.

Conclusions:

• Whole blood TPP concentrations correlate with diverse metabolic pathways in critically ill adults.
• These findings highlight TPP's role in broader metabolic networks beyond energy production.
• Metabolomics provides a powerful tool for elucidating micronutrient-metabolite interactions in critical illness.