Evaluation of Metabolic Profiles of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa at Inpatient Admission, Short- and Long-Term Weight Regain-Descriptive and Pattern Analysis.

Acute anorexia nervosa (AN) constitutes an extreme physiological state. We aimed to detect state related metabolic alterations during inpatient admission and upon short- and long-term weight regain. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that metabolite concentrations adapt to those of healthy controls (HC) after long-term weight regain. Thirty-five female adolescents with AN and 25 female HC were recruited. Based on a targeted approach 187 metabolite concentrations were detected at inpatient admission (T), after short-term weight recovery (T; half of target-weight) and close to target weight (T). Pattern hunter and time course analysis were performed. The highest number of significant differences in metabolite concentrations (N = 32) were observed between HC and T. According to the detected main pattern, metabolite concentrations at T became more similar to those of HC. The course of single metabolite concentrations (e.g., glutamic acid) revealed different metabolic subtypes within the study sample. Patients with AN after short-term weight regain are in a greater "metabolic imbalance" than at starvation. After long-term weight regain, patients reach a metabolite profile similar to HC. Our results might be confounded by different metabolic subtypes of patients with AN.