Untargeted Metabolomics and Quantitative Analysis of Tryptophan Metabolites in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients and Healthy Volunteers: A Comparative Study Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic, complex illness characterized by severe and often disabling physical and mental fatigue. So far, scientists have not been able to fully pinpoint the biological cause of the illness and yet it affects millions of people worldwide. To gain a better understanding of ME/CFS, we compared the metabolic networks in the plasma of 38 ME/CFS patients to those of 24 healthy control participants. This involved an untargeted metabolomics approach in addition to the measurement of targeted substances including tryptophan and its metabolites, as well as tyrosine, phenylalanine, B vitamins, and hypoxanthine using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We observed significant alterations in several metabolic pathways, including the vitamin B3, arginine-proline, and aspartate-asparagine pathways, in the untargeted analysis. The targeted analysis revealed changes in the levels of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, hypoxanthine, and phenylalanine in ME/CFS patients compared to the control group. These findings suggest potential alterations in immune system response and oxidative stress in ME/CFS patients.