Journal of Diabetes Research

Review Article

Metabolomics and Type 2 Diabetes: Translating Basic Research into Clinical Application

Table 1

Metabolites found to predict type 2 diabetes in advance of onset as well as their response to prediabetes and overt type 2 diabetes.
Metabolite class3–14 years aheadPrediabetesType 2 diabetes
BCAAa ↑↑ ↑    ↑↑↑↑↑↑  ↑↑↑↑↑↑ 
Aromatic amino acidsb ↑↑ ↑    ↑ ↑ ↑↑  ↑  ↑↑  
Sugarsc  ↑  ↑ ↑  ↑  ↑ ↑  ↑↑↑↑ ↑
-Hydroxybutyrate     ↑↑   ↑  ↑↑↑↑  ↑↑  ↑
Glycine  ↓↓   ↓↓     ↓   ↓     
Ketone bodiesd     ↑   ↓  ↓ ↑↑     ↑ ↑
Glyoxylate     ↑         ↑       ↑
2-Aminoadipic acid↑             ↑         
Diacyl-PtC C32:1  ↑    ↑          ↑     
SM C16:1  ↓               ↓     
Acyl-alkyl-PtC C34:3  ↓    ↓          ↓     
Lyso-PtC C18:2 ↓↓↓   ↓         ↓↓     
Linoleoyl-GPC      ↓       ↓ ↓       
Reference[34][35][36][37][40][41][42][37][38][39][43][44][45][46][47][41][48][35][37][43][46][49][50][41]
Sample type#P###SFSFPNPFPFSFSFSFPFSFPFSFPNPFP##FSFPFSFP + FSFPFP
InstrumentationLC-MSLC-MSLC-MSLC-MSLC-MSGC, LC, GC-MSLC-MSLC-MSGC-MS, LC-MSNMRLC-MSGC-MS, LC-MSMSGC-MS, LC-MSLC-MSGC, LC, GC-MSGC-MS, LC-MSLC-MSLC-MSLC-MSGC-MS, LC-MSGC-MS, LC-MS, NMRLC-MSGC, LC, GC-MS
(cases)376 (188)1622 (206)3082 (800)876 (91)378 (189)366 (179)2580 (151)1104 (238)73 (28)7098 (781)2204 (192)14082111 (24)1623 (191)366 (179)399 (140)1622 (206)957 (91)2204 (115)111 (27)100 (40)182 (105)366 (179)
Age [y]56 ± 956.67 ± 8.9454.7 ± 7.365.4 ± 10.357 ± 855.2352 ± 1265.4 ± 10.377.7 ± 3.931 ± 360.01 ± 12.4038–6013.76 ± 0.2642.9 ± 10.668 ± 755.2345 [11]*56.67 ± 8.9465.4 ± 10.363.00 ± 9.6142.9 ± 10.667.7 ± 7.253.6 ± 8.9955.23
Sexf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mff/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mf/mff/mmf/mf/m
Other12 years ahead13.5 years ahead7 years ahead7 years ahead12 years ahead6 years ahead9.5 years ahead Elderly functionally limited Twin study Obese adolescents      Twin study    
Each arrow represents a single, independent study showing the respective metabolite to be significantly changed. Upward arrow: upregulated versus control; downward arrow: downregulated. Branched-chain amino acids including valine, leucine, and isoleucine. bAromatic amino acids include phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine. cSugars include glucose, hexose, mannose, and fructose. dKetone bodies including acetoacetic acid, acetone, and -hydroxybutyric acid. *Median [interquartile range]. BCAA: branched-chain amino acids, FP: fasting plasma, FS: fasting serum, GPC: glycerophosphocholine, NP: nonfasted plasma, NS: nonfasted serum, PtC: phosphatidylcholine, SM: sphingomyelin, #P: plasma with unknown fasting status, #S: serum with unknown fasting status, and ##: unknown sample type with unknown fasting status.