#AI Reads Urine# Urine metabolome can better distinguish type 2 diabetes patients from healthy people compared to the fecal microbiome
Published 31 March, 2025
Type 2 diabetes is a common and serious health problem. It affects a large number of people globally and can lead to various complications like heart diseases, nerve damage, and kidney problems. To better diagnose it and understand its mechanisms, researchers compared the fecal microbiome (the collection of microorganisms in feces) and urine metabolome (the set of small molecules in urine) of type 2 diabetes patients and healthy people.
The study involved 94 participants, with 48 having type 2 diabetes and 46 being healthy. Fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and urine samples were analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry.
When looking at the fecal microbiome, the researchers didn't find significant differences between the two groups. They examined aspects like the diversity of microorganisms. But whether it was the overall diversity or trying to distinguish the groups through methods like principal coordinates analysis, the results showed that the fecal microbiome couldn't clearly separate diabetes patients from healthy individuals.
However, the urine metabolome was different. Although the number of detected metabolites was similar in both groups, the distribution of these metabolites was more even in diabetes patients. Principal coordinates analysis clearly showed that the urine metabolome could distinguish between the two groups.
The researchers also identified specific substances related to type 2 diabetes. In the urine, they found some metabolites like glucose and inositol that were more abundant in diabetes patients, and others like glycolic acid, hippurate, and 2 - aminoethanol that were less abundant. In the fecal microbiome, some bacteria genera such as Escherichia - Shigella were more common in diabetes patients, while Lacticaseibacillus was less common. But overall, the differences in the fecal microbiome were not as distinct as those in the urine metabolome.
To check how well these could be used for diagnosis, the researchers did receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The results showed that urinary metabolites had a better ability to diagnose type 2 diabetes compared to fecal microbiome features. A model based on urinary metabolites was more accurate in differentiating between patients and healthy people.
In summary, this study indicates that the urine metabolome can better tell type 2 diabetes patients apart from healthy people than the fecal microbiome. But the study had limitations, like a small sample size. Future research should test these findings in larger and more diverse populations to improve diabetes diagnosis.
- Biotechnol. 2025. 35: e2411071 doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2411.11071
Youhe Gao
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.