Three blood metabolites flag sepsis-associated kidney injury early
Mouse kidney multi-omics plus a 56-patient serum cohort produced an IC3 model (inosine, creatine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid) that early-identified sepsis-associated AKI with AUC 0.90.
Source
Metabolomics- and proteomics-based multi-omics integration reveals early metabolite alterations in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Study at a glance
- Design
- Other — Mouse LPS SA-AKI multi-omics discovery plus targeted serum metabolomics validation in patients
- N
- N=56 · Clinical validation: 28 SA-AKI vs 28 sepsis without SA-AKI; mouse discovery separate
- Population
- Patients with sepsis with or without SA-AKI (mouse model for discovery)
- Outcome
- Early SA-AKI identification by metabolite panel (IC3 AUC)
Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.
What they did
Authors ran untargeted renal proteomics/metabolomics in LPS-induced SA-AKI mouse models with real-time GFR monitoring, built multi-omics correlation networks, then validated core metabolites with targeted serum metabolomics in 56 patients (28 SA-AKI vs 28 sepsis without the SA-AKI label used in the model).
What they found
Core metabolites including inosine, creatine, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid supported an IC3 logistic model for early SA-AKI identification (AUC 0.90). Background clinical framing notes that roughly one-third of ICU sepsis patients develop SA-AKI.
The limits
What it doesn't show
AUC 0.90 comes from a modest 56-patient cohort and needs external prospective validation before routine use. Mouse LPS models are not identical to human polymicrobial sepsis. The panel is a diagnostic aid hypothesis, not a replacement for creatinine/urine-output criteria or a treatment.
Key terms
- SA-AKI
- Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury.
- IC3 model
- Diagnostic model using inosine, creatine, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid.
- Multi-omics
- Here, integrated renal metabolomics and proteomics correlated with kidney function.
- GFR monitoring
- Real-time glomerular filtration rate measurement used in the mouse experiments.
- LPS-induced SA-AKI
- Lipopolysaccharide mouse model of sepsis-associated kidney injury.
Flashcards
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Quiz yourself
IC3 uses which metabolite trio?
Common questions
What is IC3?
A diagnostic model using inosine, creatine, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid to early-identify SA-AKI.
What performance did IC3 report?
AUC = 0.90 in the 56-patient serum cohort.
How common is SA-AKI in ICU sepsis (per authors’ framing)?
About one-third of ICU sepsis patients develop SA-AKI.
What preclinical work preceded the human model?
Untargeted renal proteomics/metabolomics in LPS-induced SA-AKI mice with GFR monitoring.
Ready for bedside replacement of AKI criteria?
Not yet — sample size is small and external validation is still required.
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