Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40817246›Full record

ArticleNutrition journal2025

Circulating metabolic biomarkers predict incident sepsis: a large-scale population study in the UK Biobank.

Hao Bai, Yihui Li, Miaomiao Fan, Mingmin Pang, Yanan Li, Shaohua Zhao, Tingyu Meng, Hao Chen, Ming Lu, Hao Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrition journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Clinical lipidomics in bacterial sepsis: a systematic review of serum and plasma evaluations.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. 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

10 authors.

Hao Bai *Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Yihui Li *Department of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Miaomiao Fan *Department of Nutrition, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Mingmin PangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Yanan LiDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Shaohua ZhaoDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Tingyu MengDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
Hao ChenClinical Epidemiology Unit, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. qiluchenhao@email.sdu.edu.cn.
Ming LuClinical Epidemiology Unit, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. lvming@sdu.edu.cn.
Hao WangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China. wanghao34@126.com.

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2024M751832National Natural Science Foundation of China 82072231Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province ZR2023YQ068Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province tsqn202103165
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrently, there is an absence of large-scale research focusing on the metabolome profiles of individuals prior to the development of sepsis. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of circulating Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolic biomarkers with the risk of incident sepsis and the predictive ability of these metabolites for sepsis.

methodsThe analysis utilized plasma metabolomic data measuring through NMR from the UK Biobank, which involved baseline plasma samples of 106,533 participants. The multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the associations of each circulating NMR metabolite biomarker with risk of incident sepsis. The full cohort was randomly assigned to a training set (n = 53,267) and a test set (n = 53,266) to develop and validate the sepsis risk prediction model. In training set, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and stepwise Cox regression analyses were used to develop the prediction model. In test set, the predictive ability of conventional risk factors-based and combined metabolic biomarkers prediction model was assessed by Harrell's C-index. The incremental predictive power of the metabolic biomarkers was evaluated with continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).

resultsA total of 90 circulating metabolic biomarkers were significantly associated with risk of incident sepsis (all FDR adjusted P value < 0.05). Of these, triglycerides related lipid sub-classes, glycolysis, ketone bodies, and inflammation related metabolite biomarkers, creatinine, and phenylalanine were positively associated with risk of incident sepsis, while most of other lipid sub-classes, albumin, histidine, fatty acid and cholines related metabolic biomarkers were negatively associated with risk of sepsis. The Harrell's C-index of the conventional prediction model was 0.733 (95% CI: 0.722, 0.745) for incident sepsis; after adding the circulating NMR metabolic biomarkers to the conventional prediction model, the Harrell's C-index increased to 0.741 (95% CI: 0.730, 0.753) for incident sepsis. In addition, the continuous NRI and IDI were 0.022 (95% CI: 0.015, 0.043, P < 0.05) and 0.009 (95% CI: 0.006, 0.014, P < 0.05).

conclusionThis study identified multiple plasma metabolic biomarkers were associated with risk of incident sepsis. The addition of these metabolic biomarkers to the conventional risk factors-based model significantly improved the prediction precision.

Indexed as

BiomarkersSepsisAgedBiological Specimen BanksCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyMaleMetabolomicsMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsProportional Hazards ModelsRisk FactorsUK BiobankBiomarkersMetabolic biomarkersSepsisUK biobank

Identifiers

PMID40817246
PMCPMC12357410

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Registered trials

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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.