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Altered Plasma Metabolic Profiles in Chinese Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Authors :
Fan Yang
Shao-chang Wu
Zong-xin Ling
Shan Chao
Li-juan Zhang
Xiu-mei Yan
Lin He
Li-mei Yu
Long-you Zhao
Source :
Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 12 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2021.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that leads to the demyelination of nerve axons. An increasing number of studies suggest that patients with MS exhibit altered metabolic profiles, which might contribute to the course of MS. However, the alteration of metabolic profiles in Chinese patients with MS and their potential roles in regulating the immune system remain elusive. In this study, we performed a global untargeted metabolomics approach in plasma samples from 22 MS-affected Chinese patients and 21 healthy subjects. A total of 42 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) belonging to amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates were identified in the plasma of MS patients and compared with those in healthy controls. We observed an evident reduction in the levels of amino acids, such as L-tyrosine, L-isoleucine, and L-tryptophan, whereas there was a great increase in the levels of L-glutamic acid and L-valine in MS-affected patients. The levels of lipid and carbohydrate metabolites, such as sphingosine 1-phosphate and myo-inositol, were also reduced in patients with MS. In addition, the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-17 and TNF-α, were significantly increased, whereas those of several anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as IL-1ra, IL-7, and MIP-1α, were distinctly reduced in the plasma of MS patients compared with those in healthy subjects. Interestingly, some DAMs, such as L-tryptophan and sphingosine 1-phosphate, showed an evident negative correlation with changes in the level of TNF-α and IL-17, while tightly positively correlating with altered concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as MIP-1α and RANTES. Our results revealed that altered metabolomic profiles might contribute to the pathogenesis and course of MS disease by modulating immuno-inflammatory responses in the peripheral system, which is essential for eliciting autoimmune responses in the central nervous system, thus resulting in the progression of MS. This study provides potential clues for developing therapeutic strategies for MS in the near future.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16643224 and 11711418
Volume :
12
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Immunology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fd96e2a11711418a84c75f2875244cc0
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.792711