Metabolomics and Lipidomics Explore Phenotype-Specific Molecular Signatures for Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a monogenic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the gene encoding phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), an enzyme essential for phenylalanine (Phe) metabolism. It is characterized by elevated Phe levels, leading to a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes. These phenotypes are characterized by varying Phe accumulation, dietary tolerance, and heterogeneous cognitive and neurological outcomes, but current monitoring methods, focused primarily on blood Phe levels, are limited in capturing this variability. In this study, we applied mass spectrometry-based advanced quantitative amino acid analyses, untargeted metabolomics, and lipidomics analyses. We examined the plasma metabolite and lipid profiles in a total of 73 individuals with various PKU phenotypes against healthy controls to see how the metabolome and lipidome of the patients change in different phenotypes. We investigated whether novel markers could be associated with metabolic control status. By elucidating the metabolic and lipid fingerprints of PKU's phenotypic variability, our findings may provide novel insights that could inform the refinement of dietary and pharmacological interventions, thereby supporting the development of more personalized treatment strategies.