Metabolic alterations in Crohn's disease: A Systematic Review

BackgroundCrohns disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with an unknown etiology. Several studies have identified dysregulated metabolites in patients with CD. However, there is significant variability in the metabolites found to be dysregulated across these studies, making it unclear whether a comprehensive, disease-specific metabolic signature for CD exists. ObjectiveTo analyze Crohns disease-specific metabolomic studies and available datasets to identify a comprehensive signature of dysregulated metabolites and metabolic pathways implicated in human CD. DesignA comprehensive systematic review was conducted using Medline and Embase databases to identify studies (from inception to May 2024) that employed analytical chemistry techniques to quantify metabolites in various biological samples from Crohns disease patients and non-IBD controls. Metabolites that were significantly altered in Crohns patients and reported in at least two studies were included for further analysis. ResultsThe systematic search identified 3,632 studies, with 88 selected for data extraction. Across these studies, 79 metabolites were consistently reported as significantly altered in Crohns disease (CD) patients in two or more studies. These metabolites form a distinct metabolic signature that differentiates CD patients from non-IBD controls, highlighting their relevance in the pathophysiology of the disease. ConclusionThis systematic review presents a comprehensive and well-defined signature of dysregulated metabolites across various biological samples and provides detailed insight into the perturbed metabolic pathways involved in CD.