WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-P2.06.69 Metabolite Enrichment Patterns Correlate With Race, Gender and BMI in Lung Cancer Patients

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This study investigates metabolite enrichment patterns in lung cancer (LC) patients compared to controls, emphasizing how race, gender, and body mass index (BMI) influence metabolic profiles. Researchers collected plasma samples from 80 confirmed LC patients and 62 non-cancer controls. Using untargeted metabolomics through ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and computational tools such as MetaboAnalyst 5.0 and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), significant differences in metabolite expression were revealed.<br /><br />Key findings highlight a general decrease in metabolite levels in LC patients, potentially due to increased tumor metabolite utilization. Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores and random forest algorithms identified specific metabolite variations across demographic subgroups. Notably, lower plasma levels of 2-hydroxyglutarate were observed in LC patients with higher BMI. Metabolite patterns also varied by race and gender, implicating demographic factors in cancer metabolism.<br /><br />Patient demographics included 41.5% males and 58.5% females, with 66.2% identifying as Black, 28.2% as White, and 5.6% as Asian. The mean BMI was 27.76 (SD 7.25). Cancer types among patients were mostly adenocarcinoma (47.9%), with smaller proportions of squamous cell and small cell carcinomas.<br /><br />The authors conclude that understanding metabolic differences linked to patient demographics could deepen insights into lung cancer biology and guide personalized therapy. Future work will explore additional variables such as geospatial location, epigenetic gene expression, and social determinants of health to identify neighborhood-level metabolic differences in underrepresented patient populations.<br /><br />This research underscores the importance of incorporating race, gender, and BMI in metabolic profiling studies to improve lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.

Asset Subtitle

Joshua Pothen

Meta Tag

Speaker Joshua Pothen

Topic Pathology and Biomarkers

Keywords

lung cancer

metabolite enrichment

metabolic profiles

race influence

gender differences

body mass index

untargeted metabolomics

plasma metabolite levels

adenocarcinoma

personalized therapy