Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42042908›Full record

ArticleMetabolites2026

Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Alterations in the Serotonergic Synapse Pathway and a Robust Diagnostic Model in Ulcerative Colitis.

Haiyan Wang, Hanlin Wu, Yuzhen Fu, Xuhan Lv, Chao Li, Yan Jin, Wei Ge, Zenan Wu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolites, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Haiyan WangFormula-Pattern Research Center, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5417-4450
Hanlin WuDepartment of Postgraduate, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0009-0007-7898-722X
Yuzhen FuDepartment of Postgraduate, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0009-0002-1473-8068
Xuhan LvDepartment of Postgraduate, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0009-0004-9367-1571
Chao LiDepartment of Postgraduate, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0009-0006-5623-7113
Yan JinDepartment of Postgraduate, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0009-0003-4035-2959
Wei GeDepartment of Anorectal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1089-0687
Zenan WuSchool of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6298-4688

Funding

Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation No. 20224BAB206099Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation No. 20252BAC250103Qihuang Scholar Cultivation Project NATCM Personnel & Education Letter [2025] No. 182
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo overcome the limitations of invasive diagnostic approaches for ulcerative colitis (UC) diagnosis, this study integrates liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based serum metabolomics with mucosal transcriptomics to elucidate the interplay between systemic metabolic perturbations and neuroendocrine signaling in UC pathogenesis.

methodsSerum metabolites and mucosal differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through multi-omics profiling. Key neurotransmitter receptor-related genes (NRRGs) were prioritized using three machine learning algorithms: LASSO, Random Forest, and SVM-RFE. A three-gene diagnostic nomogram was developed and rigorously validated across multiple independent cohorts (GSE48958, GSE73661) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA).

resultsThe integrated analysis revealed 334 dysregulated metabolites and 3093 DEGs, both converging on the serotonergic synapse pathway. Specific molecular alterations were uncovered, including tryptophan depletion linked to the downregulation of SLC6A4, concomitant with abnormal serotonin accumulation and PTGS2-mediated inflammatory responses. The three-gene signature, HTR3C, RPS6KA6, and NETO2, formed a highly robust diagnostic model, achieving an area under the ROC curve (AUC) exceeding 0.96 in both the training cohort and external validation sets.

conclusionsThis multi-omics study delineates a neuroimmune mechanism in UC centered on dysregulation of the serotonergic synapse. The resulting three-gene nomogram identifies a candidate biomarker signature that demonstrates strong discriminative potential; however, given the exceptionally high performance metrics, these findings should be interpreted as a preliminary diagnostic framework rather than a clinically validated tool, and its efficacy relative to standard markers like CRP or fecal calprotectin requires further investigation in prospective real-world cohorts. Nonetheless, this study provides critical mechanistic insights into gut-brain axis dysfunction in UC.

Indexed as

diagnostic modelmetabolomicserotonergic synapse pathwaytranscriptomiculcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID42042908
PMCPMC13117237

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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.