Identification of serum metabolic markers for diagnosis of women with dormant genital tuberculosis

Metabolomic-Based Methods in Diagnosis and Monitoring Infection Progression

A robust biomarker screening and validation is crucial for overcoming the current limits in the clinical management of infectious diseases. In this chapter, a general workflow for metabolomics is summarized. Subsequently, an overview of the major contributions of this omics science to the field of biomarkers of infectious diseases is discussed. Different approaches using a variety of analytical platforms can be distinguished to unveil the key metabolites for the diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment and susceptibility for infectious diseases. To allow the implementation of such biomarkers into the clinics, the performance of large-scale studies employing solid validation criteria becomes essential. Focusing on the etiological agents and after an extensive review of the field, we present a comprehensive revision of the main metabolic biomarkers of viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Finally, we discussed several articles which show the strongest validation criteria. Following these research avenues, precious clinical resources will be revealed, allowing for reduced misdiagnosis, more efficient therapies, and affordable costs, ultimately leading to a better patient management.

Mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 mediated metabolic shift in decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells

Successful implantation is dependent on the appropriate decidualization of endometrial stromal cells for the establishment of pregnancy in women. Mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) is involved in pathogenesis of the genital tuberculosis (GTB), one of the common causes of infertility in emerging countries. Though implantation failure appears to be the major cause, understanding the status of decidualizaiton process in women diagnosed with GTB has not been thoroughly addressed. We, therefore, explored the effect of HSP65 protein on the endometrial cell metabolism during in vitro decidualization. In order to identify the cellular metabolism of decidual cells with and without HSP65 treatment, proton NMR based characterization of metabolites extracted from cells and culture media were performed. In presence of HSP65, significant reduction in the decidual phenotype of endometrial stromal cells and prolactin expression is suggestive of impairment in decidualization. The intracellular and extracellular metabolic changes in HSP65 treated endometrial stromal cells produced a distinct pattern, reflecting the interaction between the protein and cellular metabolism. HSP65 mediated dysregulation in cellular metabolism is associated with poor decidualization. Besides enriching the present knowledge on metabolic changes underlying stromal cells decidualization, these findings assist in identifying potential molecular causes for decidualization failure in GTB women.