Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40423900›Full record

ArticleJournal of endocrinological investigation2025

Tryptophan metabolites exert potential therapeutic activity in graves' orbitopathy by ameliorating orbital fibroblasts inflammation and proliferation.

Weili Yang, Xinyu Xu, Rongrong Xie, Jiaqi Lin, Zhijia Hou, Zhong Xin, Xi Cao, Tingting Shi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Role of gut microbiomes in different ocular pathologies: A systematic review.World journal of gastrointestinal pathophysiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Weili YangBeijing Diabetes Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diabetes Research and Care, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
Xinyu XuDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100176, China.
Rongrong XieBeijing Diabetes Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diabetes Research and Care, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
Jiaqi LinBeijing Diabetes Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diabetes Research and Care, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
Zhijia HouBeijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100176, China.
Zhong XinDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100176, China.
Xi CaoBeijing Diabetes Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Diabetes Research and Care, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China. tide005@126.com.
Tingting ShiDepartment of Endocrinology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100176, China. stingting325@126.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7008-9229

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82070850National Natural Science Foundation of China 82200937National Natural Science Foundation of China 82270897National Natural Science Foundation of China 82470852Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality 7232231Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality 7242181
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeGraves' orbitopathy (GO) is a sight-threatening organ-specific autoimmune disease with complicated pathogenesis. Gut microbiota-derived tryptophan (Trp) metabolites play important roles in immune-related diseases, but their role in GO remains unknown.

methodsTrp metabolism-associated gut flora was analyzed by 16 S sequencing in GO patients and controls. Serum metabolomics profiling was performed to assess Trp metabolic pathway. Trp metabolites levels were measured by ELISA in 401 serum samples from a case-control study, and their effects on inflammation and proliferation in orbital fibroblasts were evaluated in vitro.

resultsTrp metabolism-associated gut flora, including phylum Firmicutes and genus Anaerostipes, were significantly down-regulated in GO patients. Serum metabolomics revealed significant enrichment of Trp metabolic pathway in both GO and Graves' disease (GD) groups. Serum levels of indolepropionic acid (IPA), indole-3-lactate (ILA), and indoleacetic acid (IAA) were significantly decreased in both GD and GO patients compared to controls, with IAA levels further reduced in GO compared to GD patients. Notably, active GO patients had significantly lower IAA levels compared to inactive ones. Moreover, the levels of IAA were negatively correlated with clinical activity score and serum thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) in GO patients. In vitro, IPA, ILA, and IAA mitigated TNFα-induced inflammation and proliferation in orbital fibroblasts by suppressing the Akt signaling pathway.

conclusionTrp metabolites IAA maybe a novel biomarker for GO progression. And IPA, ILA and IAA may play a protective role in GO by regulating inflammation and proliferation in orbital fibroblasts, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets for GO treatment.

Indexed as

FibroblastsGraves OphthalmopathyInflammationOrbitTryptophanAdultCase-Control StudiesCell ProliferationCells, CulturedFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansMaleMetabolomicsMiddle AgedTryptophanGraves’ orbitopathyGut MicrobiomeInflammationOrbital fibroblastsProliferationTryptophan metabolites

Identifiers

PMID40423900
PMCPMC12313747

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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.