Session:

Bacterial Infections

Abstract No.:

45.018

Title:

Metabolomics based biomarker discovery for infectious diseases, the case of melioidosis

Author(s):

S. Decuypere¹, J. Pyke², D. Tull², S. Buddhisa³, M. McConville², J. Blackwell¹, G. Lertmemongkolchai³; ¹University of Western Australia, Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Subiaco/AU, ²University of Melbourne, BIO21 Institute of Molecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Parkville/AU, ³Khon Kaen University, Department of Clinical Immunology, Khon Kaen/TH

Abstract:

Background: The current diagnostic arsenal for infectious diseases is predominantly based on pathogen-detection, but is defied by many lethal pathogens that can cause disease while being hidden in the body or simply undetectable. Metabolomics has great potential to offer new diagnostic solutions as it provides the possibility to identify new disease biomarkers in the form of pathogen-responsive metabolites in body fluids that can be translated to bedside diagnostics. In addition, metabolite biomarkers for disease could further point out which human metabolic processes are disrupted by the infecting pathogen and as such provide a better understanding of the underlying disease. We here present a study that evaluates metabolomics as an applied research strategy for improving infectious disease control. Our work focuses on the bacterial disease melioidosis for which new diagnostic tools are needed to reduce its associated morbidity and mortality in Australia and Southeast Asia. 
Methods: Blood samples for metabolic profiling were collected in the melioidosis hyperendemic Khon Kaen Province in Thailand from (i) non-infected controls, (ii) patients with bacteremia due to other bacteria, and (iii) bacteremic melioidosis patients. Blood plasma was analyzed by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize the polar metabolites, and liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry (LC-MS) to characterize the non-polar metabolites. 
Results: The current results suggest that plasma metabolic profiles can robustly differentiate bacteremic melioidosis patients from patients suffering from other bacterial blood infections and healthy controls from the same endemic region. Various compounds were found to have a characteristic profile in melioidosis patients and represent new candidate diagnostic biomarkers for this lethal disease.
Conclusion: We will present these findings in the context of diagnostic biomarker discovery and highlight the power of metabolic profiling to reveal pathogenetic differences amongst melioidosis patients. The potential strengths offered by metabolomics for infectious disease research will be discussed.