Identification of potential serum metabolic biomarkers for patient with keratoconus using untargeted metabolomics approach

This study aimed to investigate the metabolite differences between patients with keratoconus and control subjects and identify potential serum biomarkers for keratoconus using a non-targeted metabolomics approach. Venous blood samples were obtained from patients with keratoconus (n = 20) as well as from age-, gender- and race-matched control subjects (n = 20). Metabolites extracted from serum were separated and analyzed by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Processing of raw data and analysis of the data files was performed using Agilent Mass Hunter Qualitative software. The identified metabolites were subjected to a principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis. Appropriate statistical tests were used to analyze the metabolomic profiling data. Together, the analysis revealed that the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate from the steroidal hormone synthesis pathway was significantly upregulated in patients with keratoconus (p