Biomolecules (Dec 2022)

Metabolomics and a Breath Sensor Identify Acetone as a Biomarker for Heart Failure

  • Patrick A. Gladding,
  • Maxine Cooper,
  • Renee Young,
  • Suzanne Loader,
  • Kevin Smith,
  • Erica Zarate,
  • Saras Green,
  • Silas G. Villas Boas,
  • Phillip Shepherd,
  • Purvi Kakadiya,
  • Eric Thorstensen,
  • Christine Keven,
  • Margaret Coe,
  • Mia Jüllig,
  • Edmond Zhang,
  • Todd T. Schlegel

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13010013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
p. 13

Abstract

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Background: Multi-omics delivers more biological insight than targeted investigations. We applied multi-omics to patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods: 46 patients with HFrEF and 20 controls underwent metabolomic profiling, including liquid/gas chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/GC-MS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) volatilomics in plasma and urine. HFrEF was defined using left ventricular global longitudinal strain, ejection fraction and NTproBNP. A consumer breath acetone (BrACE) sensor validated results in n = 73. Results: 28 metabolites were identified by GCMS, 35 by LCMS and 4 volatiles by SPME in plasma and urine. Alanine, aspartate and glutamate, citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism were altered in HFrEF. Plasma acetone correlated with NT-proBNP (r = 0.59, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.7), 2-oxovaleric and cis-aconitic acid, involved with ketone metabolism and mitochondrial energetics. BrACE > 1.5 ppm discriminated HF from other cardiac pathology (AUC 0.8, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.92, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Breath acetone discriminated HFrEF from other cardiac pathology using a consumer sensor, but was not cardiac specific.

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