Proteomics and metabolomics analyses of urine for investigation of gallstone disease in a high-altitude area

The incidence of gallstones is high in Qinghai Province. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of gallstones remain unclear.

In this study, we collected urine samples from 30 patients with gallstones and 30 healthy controls. The urine samples were analysed using multi-omics platforms. Proteomics analysis was conducted using data-independent acquisition, whereas metabolomics analysis was performed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS).

Among the patients with gallstones, we identified 49 down-regulated and 185 up-regulated differentially expressed proteins as well as 195 up-regulated and 189 down-regulated differentially expressed metabolites. Six pathways were significantly enriched: glycosaminoglycan degradation, arginine and proline metabolism, histidine metabolism, pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis, drug metabolism–other enzymes, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Notably, 10 differentially expressed proteins and metabolites showed excellent predictive performance and were selected as potential biomarkers.

The findings of our metabolomics and proteomics analyses provide new insights into novel biomarkers for patients with cholelithiasis in high-altitude areas.