title: The metabolome profiling and pathway analysis in metabolic healthy and abnormal obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mechanisms of the development of abnormal metabolic phenotypes among obese population are not yet clear. In this study, we aimed to screen metabolomes of both healthy and subjects with abnormal obesity to identify potential metabolic pathways that may regulate the different metabolic characteristics of obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited subjects with body mass index (BMI) over 25 from the weight-loss clinic of a central hospital in Taiwan. Metabolic healthy obesity (MHO) is defined as without having any form of hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia, while metabolic abnormal obesity (MAO) is defined as having one or more abnormal metabolic indexes. Serum-based metabolomic profiling using both liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of 34 MHO and MAO individuals with matching age, sex and BMI was performed. Conditional logistic regression and partial least squares discriminant analysis were applied to identify significant metabolites between the two groups. Pathway enrichment and topology analyses were conducted to evaluate the regulated pathways.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A differential metabolite panel was identified to be significantly differed in MHO and MAO groups, including L-kynurenine, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), glycerol 1-phosphate, glycolic acid, tagatose, methyl palmitate and uric acid. Moreover, several metabolic pathways were relevant in distinguishing MHO from MAO groups, including fatty acid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, propanoate metabolism, and valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different metabolomic profiles and metabolic pathways are important for distinguishing between MHO and MAO groups. We have identified and discussed the key metabolites and pathways that may prove important in the regulation of metabolic traits among the obese, which could provide useful clues to study the underlying mechanisms of the development of abnormal metabolic phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: H-H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronic and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [4] The Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [2] The Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan [2] Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 1] Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronic and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [2] The Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T-C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: W-J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan [2] Institute of Behavioral Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Public Health and Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Research Center for Genes, Environment and Human Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P-H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose