ArticlePloS one2024
Targeted metabolomics investigation of metabolic markers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the cerebrospinal fluid of paediatric patients with tuberculous meningitis.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics in Pediatric Health and Disease.Metabolites · 2026Review
- CSF carnitine is a potential biomarker in paediatric tuberculous meningitis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate metabolic markers linked to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a South African cohort of paediatric tuberculous meningitis (TBM).
methodsTargeted proton magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS) metabolomics approaches were used to evaluate M. tb-linked metabolites in the CSF of 21 definite cases of TBM and 25 control cases. Uni- and multivariate statistical analyses were performed.
resultsFour statistically significant metabolites were identified to discriminate TBM cases from controls. Mannose and arabinose were found at lower concentrations in the TBM group. Nonanoic acid and propanoic acid were found in higher concentrations in the definite TBM group.
conclusionsWe identified the novel presence of nonanoic acid for the first time as a M. tb-linked marker in the CSF of cases of TBM, possibly as a degradation product of the M. tb cell wall. Propanoic acid can be related to perturbed brain neuro-energetics and neuro-inflammation in TBM cases and is likely a host-response metabolite. Mannose and arabinose-supposed surrogates for lipoarabinomannan, a component of the M. tb cell wall-were not reliable markers for M. tb. Further research should focus on the analysis of fatty acids in the CSF of patients with TBM.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.