An Analysis of Targeted Serum Lipidomics in Patients with Pneumoconiosis—China,2022

Introduction:Pneumoconiosis emerges as the most critical and prevalent occupational disease in China at present,according to research.Studies indicate that pneumoconiosis may indeed impact the body’s phospholipid metabolism.Methods:In this study,serum samples were taken from 46 paired participants,which included patients with pneumoconiosis and dust-exposed workers.We employed ultra-performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)technology in targeted lipidomics to investigate serum target phospholipids.Initially,a pilot study was conducted with a selection of 24 pneumoconiosis patients and 24 dust-exposed workers,using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to preliminarily identify significant differences in phospholipids.Subsequent to this,the remaining subjects were engaged in a validation study,wherein receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was performed to further substantiate the screening potency of potential lipid biomarkers for pneumoconiosis.Results:The pilot study revealed significantly reduced serum levels of 16∶0 lysophosphatidylcholines(Lyso PC),18∶0–18∶1 phosphatidylglycerol(PG),18∶0–18∶1 phosphatidylethanolamine(PE),18∶0 PE,and 18∶1 lysophosphatidylethanolamine(Lyso PE)in the case group in comparison to the control group.Additionally,18∶0 PE,18∶0–18∶1 PE,and 18∶1 Lyso PE emerged as significant phospholipids with superior diagnostic values[area under the curve(AUC)>0.7].A diagnostic model was established,built on 16∶0 PC and 18∶0 PE(AUC>0.8).In the ROC analyses of validation studies,the 18∶0–18∶1 PE and this diagnostic model demonstrated excellent screening efficiency(AUC>0.7).Discussion:A significant divergence in phospholipid metabolism has been observed between pneumoconiosis patients and dust-exposed workers.The 18∶0–18∶1 PE present in serum could potentially function as a lipid biomarker for pneumoconiosis.Additionally,diagnostic models were developed relying on 16∶0 PC and 18∶0 PE,proving to have superior screening efficiency.