Untargeted lipidomics profiling provides novel insights into pediatric patients with sepsis: an exploratory study

Reyihangu Awuti; Jiayi Bai; Ye Cheng; Weili Yang; Zimei Cheng; Hetian Zhou; Guoyun Su; Kexin Wang; Yaodong Wang; Tingyan Liu; Ying Liu; Weiming Chen; Hehe Chen; Guoping Lu; Caiyan Zhang

doi:10.1007/s11306-025-02255-x

Untargeted lipidomics profiling provides novel insights into pediatric patients with sepsis: an exploratory study

Metabolomics. 2025 Apr 26;21(3):59. doi: 10.1007/s11306-025-02255-x.

Authors

Reyihangu Awuti^#¹, Jiayi Bai^#¹, Ye Cheng^#¹, Weili Yang¹, Zimei Cheng¹, Hetian Zhou¹, Guoyun Su², Kexin Wang³, Yaodong Wang¹, Tingyan Liu¹, Ying Liu⁴, Weiming Chen¹, Hehe Chen⁵, Guoping Lu^{6

7

8}, Caiyan Zhang⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Rd, Minhang, Shanghai, 201102, China.
² Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518026, China.
³ The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
⁴ Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
⁵ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315000, Zhejiang, China. hehebb0425@163.com.
⁶ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Rd, Minhang, Shanghai, 201102, China. lgp@fudan.edu.cn.
⁷ Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. lgp@fudan.edu.cn.
⁸ Department of Pediatric Critical Care Unit, Anhui Povincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, 230051, China. lgp@fudan.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Emergency, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Rd, Minhang, Shanghai, 201102, China. zhangcy17@fudan.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: The plasma lipidome has emerged as an important indicator for assessing host metabolic and immune status in sepsis. While previous studies have largely examined specific lipid class changes in adults sepsis, comprehensive investigations into plasma lipidomic alterations in pediatric sepsis are limited. This study aimed to characterize the plasma lipidome in pediatric sepsis using a metabolomics-based exploratory approach, providing insights into pathophysiological mechanisms and potential biomarkers.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on pediatric patients with sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Untargeted lipidomics analysis using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap) was performed to compare metabolomic profiles between non-infected control patients and sepsis patients.

Results: Compared to controls, plasma lipid levels in sepsis patients decreased by 33.3%, increased by 20.2%, and remained unchanged in 46.5% of cases. A total of 1,257 differential lipids were identified in sepsis patients, with 24 lipids showing significant associations with pSOFA scores. In the recovery and deterioration subgroups, 186 differential lipids were identified, with triglyceride (TG) representing the highest proportion at 16.4%. Notably, 15 lipids with significant statistical differences were identified as differential lipid species through a comparison of those associated with pSOFA scores and those linked to sepsis prognosis. Fatty acid (FA) levels were significantly elevated in the sepsis group compared to controls, with arachidonic acid (FA(20:4)) showing the most significant increase (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Alterations in plasma lipid profiles among children with sepsis reflect disease severity, systemic inflammatory responses, and sepsis prognosis. These findings underscore the prognostic potential of lipidomics and its value in understanding sepsis pathophysiology.

Keywords: Fatty acid; Pediatric sepsis; Plasma lipidome; Untargeted lipidomics.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Biomarkers / blood
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Infant
Intensive Care Units, Pediatric
Lipid Metabolism
Lipidomics* / methods
Lipids* / blood
Male
Mass Spectrometry
Metabolomics / methods
Retrospective Studies
Sepsis* / blood
Sepsis* / metabolism

Substances

Lipids
Biomarkers

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding