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Metabolomics in early life and the association with body composition at age 2 years.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Article

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Authors

van Beijsterveldt, Inge ALP  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0204-7430
Snowden, Stuart G 
Myers, Pernille Neve 
de Fluiter, Kirsten S  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5848-7929
van de Heijning, Bert 

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early life is a critical window for adiposity programming. Metabolic-profile in early life may reflect this programming and correlate with later life adiposity. We investigated if metabolic-profile at 3 months of age is predictive for body composition at 2 years and if there are differences between boys and girls and between infant feeding types. METHODS: In 318 healthy term-born infants, we determined body composition with skinfold measurements and abdominal ultrasound at 3 months and 2 years of age. High-throughput-metabolic-profiling was performed on 3-month-blood-samples. Using random-forest-machine-learning-models, we studied if the metabolic-profile at 3 months can predict body composition outcomes at 2 years of age. RESULTS: Plasma metabolite-profile at 3 months was found to predict body composition at 2 years, based on truncal: peripheral-fat-skinfold-ratio (T:P-ratio), with a predictive value of 75.8%, sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 50%. Predictive value was higher in boys (Q2  = 0.322) than girls (Q2  = 0.117). Of the 15 metabolite variables most strongly associated with T:P-ratio, 11 were also associated with visceral fat at 2 years of age. CONCLUSION: Several plasma metabolites (LysoPC(22:2), dimethylarginine and others) at 3 months associate with body composition outcome at 2 years. These results highlight the importance of the first months of life for adiposity programming.

Description

Keywords

adiposity, body composition, infants, metabolomics, skinfolds, Adiposity, Body Composition, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Intra-Abdominal Fat, Male, Metabolomics, Obesity

Journal Title

Pediatr Obes

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2047-6302
2047-6310

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (unknown)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/P028195/1)
MRC (MC_UU_00006/2)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/M027252/2)