Untargeted plasma metabolite detection in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: identifying key metabolic signatures

TL;DR

This study identifies key plasma metabolites in sudden sensorineural hearing loss, offering potential biomarkers and insights into its underlying metabolic mechanisms.

Contribution

The study presents a novel untargeted metabolite profiling approach to uncover metabolic signatures specific to different subtypes of SSNHL.

Findings

130 differentially expressed metabolites were identified in SSNHL patients compared to controls.

Key metabolites like sphingosine, anthranilic acid, and 6-hydroxyflavanone were linked to central carbon metabolism and other pathways.

Metabolite profiling suggests a non-invasive method for SSNHL biomarker screening and therapeutic target identification.

Abstract

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a common otological disorder with complex etiologies and unclear pathophysiology. This study aimed to detect and analyze plasma metabolites in SSNHL, identify potential biomarkers, and uncover underlying metabolic mechanisms.

A cohort of 64 SSNHL, classified into four subtypes (low-frequency, high-frequency, flat and total deafness type), and 53 normal controls (NC) were recruited. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Metabolite profiling was performed, followed by multivariate statistical analyses, including orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to find differentially expressed metabolites between the groups.

The results showed significant differences in the plasma metabolome when comparing each of the four SSNHL types with NC. A total of 130 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, with sphingosine, anthranilic acid, and 6-hydroxyflavanone (6-HF) being prominent examples. Were prominent. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these metabolites were mainly involved in central carbon metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, mineral absorption, etc.

These findings imply that plasma metabolite profiling holds promise as a non-invasive approach for screening biomarkers in SSNHL. The identified differential metabolites and associated metabolic pathways may offer novel perspectives on the pathophysiology of SSNHL, presenting potential targets for future therapeutic interventions.

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