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A precision medicine approach to stress testing using metabolomics and microribonucleic acids

    Alexander T Limkakeng

    *Author for correspondence:

    E-mail Address: alexander.limkakeng@duke.edu

    Division of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Laura-Leigh Rowlette

    Sequencing & Genomic Technologies Shared Resource, Duke Center for Genomic & Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    ,
    Ace Hatch

    Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Andrew B Nixon

    Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Olga Ilkayeva

    Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    David Corcoran

    Genomic Analysis & Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Duke Center for Genomic & Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Jennifer Modliszewski

    Genomic Analysis & Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Duke Center for Genomic & Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Shannon Michelle Griffin

    Division of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    ,
    Geoffrey S Ginsburg

    Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    &
    Deepak Voora

    Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/pme-2021-0021

    Both transcriptomics and metabolomics hold promise for identifying acute coronary syndrome (ACS) but they have not been used in combination, nor have dynamic changes in levels been assessed as a diagnostic tool. We assessed integrated analysis of peripheral blood miRNA and metabolite analytes to distinguish patients with myocardial ischemia on cardiac stress testing. We isolated and quantified miRNA and metabolites before and after stress testing from seven patients with myocardial ischemia and 1:1 matched controls. The combined miRNA and metabolomic data were analyzed jointly in a supervised, dimension-reducing discriminant analysis. We implemented a baseline model (T0) and a stress-delta model. This novel integrative analysis of the baseline levels of metabolites and miRNA expression showed modest performance for distinguishing cases from controls. The stress-delta model showed worse performance. This pilot study shows potential for an integrated precision medicine approach to cardiac stress testing.

    Plain language summary

    The study of small sequences of ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) and byproducts of cellular metabolism (metabolites) could help us to identify important cardiac conditions such as not enough blood and oxygen supply to the heart (acute coronary syndrome). We obtained blood samples from patients getting cardiac stress tests (a noninvasive test to see if the patient has enough blood flow to their heart) before and after their test, then compared the levels of miRNAs and metabolites in them. We compared the levels in patients who had abnormal stress tests with those that had normal tests. We believe this could be a model for a new type of cardiac stress test if validated in more patients.

    Tweetable abstract

    Can metabolomics + miRNAs augment imaging in cardiac stress tests? This study examines an integrative analysis of pre- and post- stress samples to determine if combining these data can help differentiate myocardial ischemia.

    Graphical abstract

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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