Common and divergent dynamic changes of the human plasma metabolome across the first week of life in the Gambia and Papua New Guinea 3859

Description Background The plasma metabolome changes markedly over the first week of life, yet little is known regarding how these trajectories might differ across geographically distinct populations. Methods To gain insight into potential differences in ontogeny between geographic sites, newborn participants were enrolled in The Gambia (n = 45) and Papua New Guinea (n = 45). All participants had samples collected at birth and were randomized to have their second sample collected either on the first, third, or seventh day following birth. Global untargeted plasma metabolomics employed ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (Metabolon). Results PCA showed plasma metabolites clustering by day of sample collection and by site. The majority (62%) of metabolite features showed a significant difference based on time point: 46% of these were lipids and 17% were amino acids. Additionally, 24% of the metabolite features showed a significant difference between sites, with the most common being lipids (28.2%). Xenobiotics including caffeine and food metabolites were distinct in GAM vs. PNG, suggesting differences in maternal diet and environmental factors. Conclusions The plasma metabolome undergoes marked changes during the first week of human life, with distinct features across geographic locations, and warrants further exploration with respect to potential correlations to immune status and clinical outcomes, with particular emphasis on lipid pathways.