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Advanced Research on the Detection of Small Metabolites in Biological Fluids

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2025) | Viewed by 841

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic abnormalities lead to various dysfunctions that lead to the accumulation or deficiency of metabolites. These metabolites are therefore useful for predicting the diagnosis of diseases or monitoring treatments. Therefore, analytical methods of detection and monitoring are essential. Small-molecule metabolite-based metabolomics has become a specialized tool for analyzing metabolic biomarkers and pathways.

A metabolomic approach can involve small molecules. The first phase involves the experimental design, then the choice of biological subjects, then the collection of samples, and finally the preparation and extraction of the metabolites. The final phase involves the acquisition and processing of data for the identification of biomarkers and their functional roles. This special issue is open for original research articles, short communications, and reviews.

Dr. Stefania Garzoli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • metabolomic
  • biological fluids
  • GC/MS
  • HPLC/MS
  • NMR

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 1025 KB  
Article
Metabolomic Profiling of Middle Ear Effusion Suggests a Predominant Influence of Age over Viscosity: An HR-MAS NMR Study
by Seokhwan Lee, Seonghye Kim, Sojeon Moon, Se-Joon Oh, Seok-Hyun Kim, Hyun-Min Lee, Suhkmann Kim and Sung-Won Choi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010020 - 19 Dec 2025
Viewed by 183
Abstract
Otitis media with effusion (OME) involves heterogeneous middle ear effusion (MEE), and its classification based on viscosity (serous/mucous) is often confounded by patient age. This study determined the independent contributions of age and viscosity to the MEE metabolome. In this prospective study, high-resolution [...] Read more.
Otitis media with effusion (OME) involves heterogeneous middle ear effusion (MEE), and its classification based on viscosity (serous/mucous) is often confounded by patient age. This study determined the independent contributions of age and viscosity to the MEE metabolome. In this prospective study, high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of 83 MEE samples (45 adult serous, 17 child serous < 12 years, and 21 child mucous) was performed. Statistical analyses included principal component analysis, correlation analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and age-adjusted receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Age was the primary metabolic variance determinant, overshadowing viscosity-related differences. Significant age-associated metabolic trends were identified: pyruvate and lactate levels increased with age, whereas glutamate and leucine levels decreased, indicating energy and inflammatory metabolism shifts. After adjusting for age using ANCOVA, taurine, glycine, and choline were significantly associated with effusion viscosity, and a combined panel of these metabolites achieved an age-adjusted area under the curve of 0.707 (95% confidence interval: 0.55–0.89). In conclusion, the MEE metabolic profile was more strongly influenced by patient age than by viscosity, suggesting fundamental differences in OME pathophysiology between children and adults. Nonetheless, specific viscosity-associated metabolites were identified, offering a basis for objective metabolic typing. Full article
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