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Gestational Age-Related Urinary Peptidome Changes in Preterm and Term Born Infants
Maire Brasseler1, Harald Mischak2, Joost P Schanstra3,4
1Department of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology and Centre for Translational and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Insights
Urinary peptidome patterns change with gestational age in preterm infants. This study identified age-dependent urinary peptide changes, offering potential for novel prognostic biomarkers in preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neonatology
- Proteomics
Background:
- Preterm infants face risks for somatic and neurological disorders.
- Biofluid proteomics is an emerging tool for biomarker analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gestational age (GA)-related urinary peptidome patterns in preterm infants.
- To identify potential novel prognostic biomarkers for preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Urinary peptidomics was performed on longitudinal samples from 24 preterm and 27 term-born infants.
- Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) and MS/MS were used for peptide analysis.
- Statistical analysis compared peptide abundance and correlated findings with GA and clinical risk scores.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in peptide abundance were observed between preterm and term infants.
- Age-dependent changes in the urinary peptidome were confirmed.
- The solute carrier family 38 member 10 (SLC38A10) peptide was abundant in preterm infants.
- Combined urinary peptides correlated with clinical risk scores.
Conclusions:
- This is the first study to report GA-related urinary peptidome changes in preterm infants using CE-MS.
- Further research is needed to correlate peptidome clusters with clinical complications and long-term outcomes.
- Identifying high-risk preterm infants could enable early intervention.
Introduction:
Preterm infants are at risk for a variety of somatic and neurological disorders. In recent years, biofluid proteomics has emerged as a potential diagnostic tool for biomarker analysis. The aim of this study was to determine gestational age (GA)-related patterns of the urinary peptidome in preterm infants for researching potential novel prognostic biomarkers.
Methods:
We performed urinary peptidomics in longitudinal samples of 24 preterm (mean GA weeks 28 + 1 [24+1-31 + 6]) and 27 term born controls (mean GA weeks 39 + 2 [37+0-41 + 1]) using capillary electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry (CE-MS). Peptides were sequenced using CE-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS analysis and were deposited, matched, and annotated in a Microsoft SQL database for statistical analysis. We compared their abundance in urine of preterm and term born infants and performed a validation analysis as well as correlations to GA and clinical risk scores.
Results:
Our results confirmed significant differences in the abundance of peptides and the hypothesis of age-dependent urinary peptidome changes in preterm and term infants. In preterm infants, SLC38A10 (solute carrier family 38 member 10) is one of the most abundant peptides. Combined urinary peptides correlated with clinical risk scores (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
This is the first study reporting GA-related urinary peptidome changes of preterm infants detected by CE-MS and a modulation of the peptidome with GA. Further research is required to locate peptidome clusters correlated with specific clinical complications and long-term outcome. This may identify preterm infants at higher risk for adverse outcome who would benefit from early intervention.
