Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 117609, Singapore.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, 119074, Singapore.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 May 17;107(6):e2464-e2473. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac078.
The kynurenine pathway generates metabolites integral to energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and immune function. Circulating kynurenine metabolites positively correlate with adiposity in children and adults, yet it is not known whether this relationship is present already at birth.
In this prospective longitudinal study, we investigate the relationship between cord blood kynurenine metabolites and measures of adiposity from birth to 4.5 years.
Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify cord blood kynurenine metabolites in 812 neonates from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study. Fat percentage was measured by air displacement plethysmography and abdominal adipose tissue compartment volumes; superficial (sSAT) and deep subcutaneous (dSAT) and internal adipose tissue were quantified by magnetic resonance imaging at early infancy in a smaller subset of neonates, and again at 4 to 4.5 years of age.
Cord blood kynurenine metabolites appeared to be higher in female newborns, higher in Indian newborns compared with Chinese newborns, and higher in infants born by cesarean section compared with vaginal delivery. Kynurenine, xanthurenic acid, and quinolinic acid were positively associated with birthweight, but not with subsequent weight during infancy and childhood. Quinolinic acid was positively associated with sSAT at birth. Kynurenic acid and quinolinic acid were positively associated with fat percentage at 4 years.
Several cord blood kynurenine metabolite concentrations were positively associated with birthweight, with higher kynurenic acid and quinolinic acid correlating to higher percentage body fat in childhood, suggesting these cord blood metabolites as biomarkers of early childhood adiposity.
犬尿氨酸途径生成的代谢物对能量代谢、神经递质传递和免疫功能至关重要。循环犬尿氨酸代谢物与儿童和成人的肥胖呈正相关，但目前尚不清楚这种关系是否在出生时就存在。
在这项前瞻性纵向研究中，我们调查了脐带血犬尿氨酸代谢物与出生至 4.5 岁期间肥胖指标之间的关系。
使用液相色谱-串联质谱法在来自新加坡成长为健康结局研究（GUSTO）的 812 名新生儿的脐带血中定量检测犬尿氨酸代谢物。通过空气置换体描记法测量脂肪百分比，并通过磁共振成像在新生儿中较小的亚组中测量腹部脂肪组织容积；浅层（sSAT）和深层皮下（dSAT）和内部脂肪组织，并在 4 至 4.5 岁时再次测量。
脐带血犬尿氨酸代谢物似乎在女婴中较高，与中国新生儿相比，印度新生儿中较高，与阴道分娩相比，剖宫产新生儿中较高。犬尿氨酸、黄嘌呤酸和喹啉酸与出生体重呈正相关，但与婴儿期和儿童期的体重无关。喹啉酸与出生时的 sSAT 呈正相关。犬尿氨酸酸和喹啉酸与 4 岁时的脂肪百分比呈正相关。
几种脐带血犬尿氨酸代谢物浓度与出生体重呈正相关，犬尿氨酸酸和喹啉酸较高与儿童时期体脂肪百分比较高相关，提示这些脐带血代谢物可作为儿童早期肥胖的生物标志物。
