Study on the Mechanism of Early Delivery by Multi-Omics Analysis of Metabolites, Elements and Bacterial Flora in Amniotic Fluid

Significance of the Topic

The rate of preterm birth remains a major global health challenge, affecting one in ten deliveries and representing the leading cause of early childhood mortality. Amniotic fluid is a critical matrix for assessing fetal health, as it contains metabolites, trace elements and microbial communities that reflect both fetal development and potential infection risks.

Study Objectives and Overview

This study aimed to elucidate mechanisms underlying early delivery by conducting a comprehensive multi-omics analysis of amniotic fluid from women with preterm and term deliveries. Primary metabolites, elemental profiles and bacterial composition were quantified and correlated with clinical delivery data.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Metabolite analysis using gas chromatography mass spectrometry GCMS-TQ™8040 NX and Smart Metabolites Database Ver 2 to detect 488 primary metabolites, with blank correction and internal standard normalization.
• Elemental profiling with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry EDX-7200 under helium atmosphere to measure 78 elements, identifying six consistently detected elements per sample.
• Microbiota profiling via full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing on MinION Mk1C nanopore system, quantifying approximately 250 bacterial species and calculating relative abundances.
• Data integration and statistical evaluation using a Multi-Omics Analysis Package, incorporating principal component analysis, volcano plots, metabolic pathway mapping and cluster analysis.

Key Results and Discussion

Volcano plot analysis highlighted elevated levels of lipids and fatty acids in preterm cases, including oleic acid, margaric acid, batyl alcohol, mystiphosphoric acid and lauric acid. Increased 16S rRNA copy numbers suggested a higher bacterial load in preterm deliveries. Subjects were categorized into ureaplasma-infected, aseptic and mixed-infection groups. A mixed-infection subject delivering at term exhibited high phosphorus levels and undetectable zinc, implying reduced antimicrobial activity. Bromine concentration correlated positively with ureaplasma abundance. Pathway analysis revealed activation of glycolysis and accumulation of pyrimidine metabolism intermediates in ureaplasma-infected cases, indicating enhanced energy production and nucleotide turnover. Incorporating product to substrate ratios as variables in clustering improved the elucidation of pathway alterations.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Identification of metabolic and elemental biomarkers for early detection of preterm delivery risk.
• Insights into infection-mediated metabolic shifts guide targeted prenatal interventions.
• Understanding phosphorus–zinc interactions may inform strategies to enhance natural antimicrobial defenses in utero.
• Multi-omics integration streamlines discovery of therapeutic targets and personalized monitoring.

Future Trends and Applications

Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate identified biomarkers and refine predictive models. Integrating proteomics, transcriptomics and real-time sequencing technologies may provide deeper mechanistic insights. Advanced bioinformatics and machine learning will enhance personalized prenatal care through early risk stratification and tailored interventions.

Conclusion

This multi-omics approach demonstrated the value of combining metabolite, elemental and microbiome data to reveal metabolic and microbial signatures associated with preterm birth. The methodology offers a robust platform for biomarker discovery and paves the way for improved prenatal diagnostics and management.

Instrumentation Used

• GCMS-TQ™8040 NX
• Smart Metabolites Database Ver 2
• EDX-7200
• MinION Mk1C System

Reference

• WHO Born too soon decade of action on preterm birth 2024
• MSD Amniotic fluid problem 2024
• Moony What is amniotic fluid important role in protecting babies 2024
• NIPT Japan Characteristics of people prone to premature birth 2024
• PubMed Phosphate to zinc ratio as a predictor of bacterial growth inhibitory activity 2024