Metabolomics in early life and the association with body composition at age 2 years.
Pediatric Obesity 2021
van Beijsterveldt IALP, Snowden SG, Myers PN, de Fluiter KS, van de Heijning B, Brix S, Ong KK, Dunger DB, Hokken-Koelega ACS, Koulman A
DOI : 10.1111/ijpo.12859
PubMed ID : 34644810
PMCID :
URL : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijpo.12859
Abstract
Early life is a critical window for adiposity programming. Metabolic-profile in early life may reflect this programming and correlate with later life adiposity. We investigated if metabolic-profile at 3 months of age is predictive for body composition at 2 years and if there are differences between boys and girls and between infant feeding types.
In 318 healthy term-born infants, we determined body composition with skinfold measurements and abdominal ultrasound at 3 months and 2 years of age. High-throughput-metabolic-profiling was performed on 3-month-blood-samples. Using random-forest-machine-learning-models, we studied if the metabolic-profile at 3 months can predict body composition outcomes at 2 years of age.
Plasma metabolite-profile at 3 months was found to predict body composition at 2 years, based on truncal: peripheral-fat-skinfold-ratio (T:P-ratio), with a predictive value of 75.8%, sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 50%. Predictive value was higher in boys (Q = 0.322) than girls (Q = 0.117). Of the 15 metabolite variables most strongly associated with T:P-ratio, 11 were also associated with visceral fat at 2 years of age.
Several plasma metabolites (LysoPC(22:2), dimethylarginine and others) at 3 months associate with body composition outcome at 2 years. These results highlight the importance of the first months of life for adiposity programming.