Serum metabolomics as a novel diagnostic approach for disease: a systematic review.

Metabolomics is a promising "omics" field in systems biology; its objective is comprehensive analysis of low-molecular-weight endogenous metabolites in a biological sample. It could enable mapping of perturbations of early biochemical changes in diseases and hence provide an opportunity to develop predictive biomarkers that could result in earlier intervention and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of diseases. Because of the possible discovery of clinically relevant biomarkers, metabolomics has potential advantages that routine approaches to clinical diagnosis do not. Monitoring specific metabolite levels in serum, the most commonly used biofluid in metabolomics, has become an important way of detecting the early stages of a disease. Serum is a readily accessible and informative biofluid, making it ideal for early detection of a wide range of diseases, and analysis of serum has several advantages over analysis of other biofluids. Metabolite profiles of serum can be regarded as important indicators of physiological and pathological states and may aid understanding of the mechanism of disease occurrence and progression on the metabolic level, and provide information enabling identification of early and differential metabolic markers of disease. Analysis of these crucial metabolites in serum has become important in monitoring the state of biological organisms and is widely used for diagnosis of disease. Emerging metabolomics will drive serum analysis, facilitate and improve the development of disease treatments, and provide great benefits for public health in the long-term.