Metabolites in Blood for Prediction of Bacteremic Sepsis in the Emergency Room

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 22;11(1):e0147670. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147670. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

A metabolomics approach for prediction of bacteremic sepsis in patients in the emergency room (ER) was investigated. In a prospective study, whole blood samples from 65 patients with bacteremic sepsis and 49 ER controls were compared. The blood samples were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Multivariate and logistic regression modeling using metabolites identified by chromatography or using conventional laboratory parameters and clinical scores of infection were employed. A predictive model of bacteremic sepsis with 107 metabolites was developed and validated. The number of metabolites was reduced stepwise until identifying a set of 6 predictive metabolites. A 6-metabolite predictive logistic regression model showed a sensitivity of 0.91(95% CI 0.69-0.99) and a specificity 0.84 (95% CI 0.58-0.94) with an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.89-1.01). Myristic acid was the single most predictive metabolite, with a sensitivity of 1.00 (95% CI 0.85-1.00) and specificity of 0.95 (95% CI 0.74-0.99), and performed better than various combinations of conventional laboratory and clinical parameters. We found that a metabolomics approach for analysis of acute blood samples was useful for identification of patients with bacteremic sepsis. Metabolomics should be further evaluated as a new tool for infection diagnostics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bacteremia / blood
  • Bacteremia / diagnosis*
  • Bacteremia / metabolism
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Disaccharides
  • Emergency Service, Hospital*
  • Female
  • Glucuronates
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metabolomics
  • Myristic Acid / blood
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Disaccharides
  • Glucuronates
  • Myristic Acid
  • O-(glucuronic acid 2-sulfate)-(1--4)-O-(2,5)-anhydromannitol 6-sulfate