Metabolomic profiling and machine learning-based biomarker identification for oligoasthenozoospermia.

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Oligoasthenozoospermia, characterized by a low sperm count and impaired progressive motility, significantly contributes to male infertility. This study examines the metabolic disparities between individuals with oligoasthenozoospermia (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30) utilizing ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS).

Methods: A total of 1,331 metabolites were identified in positive ion mode and 870 in negative ion mode, with differential analysis indicating 211 significantly different metabolites between the two groups. Pathway analysis identified key metabolic pathways, including the pentose phosphate pathway, TCA cycle, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism. Subsequently, various machine learning models, including Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were employed to assess the predictive capability of the identified metabolites, with 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and [6]-gingerol demonstrating the highest predictive performance.

Results: The diagnostic model, developed using LR, attained high sensitivity (0.93), specificity (1), and accuracy (0.97), with an AUC of 0.998 in the training set and 0.963 in the test set.

Conclusion: These findings offer critical insights into the metabolic changes associated with oligoasthenozoospermia and establish a dependable diagnostic framework for differentiating it from controls.