Plasma metabolomic profiling of diabetic macular edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME), a sight-threatening retinopathy, is a leading cause of vision loss in persons with diabetes mellitus. Despite strict control of systemic risk factors, a fraction of patients with diabetes developed DME, suggesting the existence of other potential pathogenic factors underlying DME. This study aimed to investigate the plasma metabotype of patients with DME and to identify novel metabolite markers for DME. Biomarkers identified from this study will provide scientific insight and new strategies for the early diagnosis and intervention of DME. To match clinical parameters between case and control subjects, patients with DME (DME, n = 30) or those with diabetes but without DME (Control, n = 30) were assigned to the present case-control study. Distinct metabolite profiles of serum were examined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 190 distinct metabolites between DME and Control groups were identified (VIP > 1, Fold Change > 1.5 or < 0.667, and P < 0.05). The distinct metabolites between DME and Control groups were enriched in 4 KEGG pathways, namely, Glutamate Metabolism, Carnitine Synthesis, Oxidation of Branched Chain Fatty Acids, and Phytanic Acid Peroxisomal Oxidation. Finally, 4 metabolites were selected as candidate biomarkers for DME, namely, 5-Phospho-beta-D-ribosylamine, Succinic acid, Ascorbyl glucoside, and Glutathione disulfide. The area under the curve for these biomarkers were 0.693, 0.772, 0.762, and 0.771, respectively. This study suggested that impairment in the metabolism and 4 potential metabolites were identified as metabolic dysregulation associated with DME, which might provide insights into potential new pathogenic pathways for DME. 5-Phospho-beta-D-ribosylamine was first identified as a novel metabolite marker, with no previous reports linking it to diabetes or DME. This discovery may offer valuable insights into potential new pathogenic pathways associated with DME.