Metabolomics Analysis Uncovers Distinct Profiles of Liver Post-Transplant Patients by Immunosuppression Regimen

Long-term survival among liver transplant (LT) recipients who live beyond one year has remained relatively stable over recent decades. However, reducing long-term morbidity is increasingly important, and metabolomics may enable risk-based, personalized immunosuppression. We aimed to evaluate and compare the serum metabolomic profiles of LT recipients treated with tacrolimus (TAC) versus sirolimus (SIR), to elucidate metabolic pathways associated with these regimens.

Targeted metabolomic profiling of 894 metabolites was conducted on serum samples from 128 LT recipients using the Biocrates MxP^® Quant 500 kit. Data were analyzed with MetaboAnalyst 6.0, and multivariate analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). Metabolites with Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores > 1.5 underwent pathway enrichment in OmicsNet, incorporating Gene Ontology annotations and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-based network analysis.

Eighty-seven metabolites were significantly altered between groups. Phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and ceramides were elevated in TAC-treated patients, while di- and triacylglycerols were higher in the SIR group. Pathway enrichment implicated lipid metabolism, particularly glycerophospholipid, ether lipid, and sphingolipid pathways. Network analysis identified enriched modules related to metabolic regulation and immune response.

Divergent metabolomic profiles distinguish TAC- and SIR-treated recipients, suggesting regimen-specific impacts on lipid metabolism with potential relevance to post-transplant complications.