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Observational Study
. 2024 Dec;96(7):1794-1802.
doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03209-0. Epub 2024 May 22.

Faecal lipid profile as a new marker of fat maldigestion, malabsorption and microbiota

Andrea Asensio-Grau  1   2 , Miguel Ferriz-Jordán  1 , David Hervás  3 , Ana Heredia  1   2 , Jorge García-Hernández  4 , María Garriga  5 , Etna Masip  6 , M Carmen Collado  7 , Ana Andrés  1   2 , Carmen Ribes-Koninckx  2   6 , Joaquim Calvo-Lerma  8   9   10
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Free article
Observational Study

Faecal lipid profile as a new marker of fat maldigestion, malabsorption and microbiota

Andrea Asensio-Grau et al. Pediatr Res. 2024 Dec.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Fat malabsorption in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) leads to poor nutritional status and altered colonic microbiota. This study aimed at establishing the faecal lipid profile in children with CF, and exploring associations between the faecal lipidome and microbiota.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with children with CF and an age-matched control group. Faecal lipidome was analysed by UHLC-HRMS and microbiota profiling by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

Results: Among 234 identified lipid species, five lipidome clusters (LC) were obtained with significant differences in triacylglycerols (TG), diacylglycerols (DG), monoacylglycerols (MG) and fatty-acids (FA): LC1 subjects with good digestion and absorption: low TG and low MG and FA; LC2 good digestion and poor absorption: low TG and high MG and FA; LC3 Mild digestion and poor absorption: intermediate TG and high MG and FA; LC4 poor digestion and absorption: high TG and high MG and FA; LC5 outliers. Bacteroidota and Verrucomicrobiota decreased over LC1-LC4, while Proteobacteria increased. Nutritional status indicators were significantly higher in LC1 and decreased over LC2-LC4.

Conclusion: Assessing faecal lipidome may be relevant to determine how dietary lipids are digested and absorbed. This new evidence might be a method to support targeted nutritional interventions towards reverting fat maldigestion or malabsorption.

Impact: Lipidomic analysis enabled the identification of the lipid species related to maldigestion (triglycerides) or malabsorption (monoglycerides and fatty acids). Children with cystic fibrosis can be grouped depending on the faecal lipidome profile related to dietary fat maldigestion or malabsorption. The lipidome profile in faeces is related to the composition of microbiota and nutritional status indicators.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics committees of University Hospital La Fe (Valencia, Spain) (Ref. 2021-111-1) and Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia, Spain) (Ref. P09_24_11_2021), and perfomerd in accordance with de Declaration of Helinski. Inform consent was obtained from the participants older than 12 years’ old and from the individuals’ guardians.

References

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