title: Metabolomic analyses of faeces reveals malabsorption in cirrhotic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study of faeces offers a unique opportunity to observe cooperation between the microbiome and the metabolism of mammalian hosts, an essential element in the study of the human metabolome. In the present study, a global metabolomics approach was used to identify metabolites differentially excreted in the faeces of cirrhotic patients compared to controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen cirrhotic patients and 24 healthy individuals were recruited. Faecal metabolites were detected through non-targeted reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 9215 peaks were detected. Using unequal variance t-tests, 2393 peaks were observed with P≤0.05, approximately 74.0% of which were due to decreased faecal metabolite concentrations in liver cirrhosis vs. healthy controls. Integrating multivariate data analyses, we identified six major groups of metabolites. Relative levels of identified metabolites were as follows: strong increase in lysophosphatidylcholines, aromatic amino acids, fatty acids, and acylcarnitines, and a dramatic decrease in bile acids and bile pigments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With severe hepatic injury in patients with liver cirrhosis, malabsorption occurs along with disorders of fatty acid metabolism, potentially due to changes in gut microflora.
authors: State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, PR China.
authors: Hai-jun
authors: HJ
authors: Huang
authors: An-ye
authors: AY
authors: Zhang
authors: Hong-cui
authors: HC
authors: Cao
authors: Hai-feng
authors: HF
authors: Lu
authors: Bao-hong
authors: BH
authors: Wang
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Xie
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Xu
authors: Lan-Juan
authors: LJ
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic / Q000032:analysis; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis; D001654:Bile Pigments / Q000032:analysis; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D055442:Metabolome; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D001654:Bile Pigments; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; C116917:acylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine
keywords: Faecal water extracts; Liver cirrhosis; Metabolomics; UPLC/Q-TOF MS