Epidemiological applications of quantitative urinary NMR metabolomics

The present thesis focuses on the epidemiological applications of quantitative urinary NMR metabolomics. Based on quantitative urinary metabolomics data from a high-throughput urine NMR metabolomics platform developed by our group, the thesis demonstrates the distribution characteristics of urinary metabolites at the population level, proposes a rationale for an appropriate normalization strategy for urinary metabolite concentrations in epidemiological analyses, and shows their associations with clinical and biochemical measurements in extensive population-based cohorts. The novel extensive quantitative urinary metabolomics data and the associations with clinically relevant measures support the application of urine metabolomics in large-scale epidemiological studies and provide new insights into renal function and related urinary biomarkers.

Urinary metabolome is associated with glomerular filtration and molecular reabsorption processes in the kidneys, and reflects several key biochemical pathways related to the cardiometabolic state, gut microbial metabolic activity, and dietary characteristics. Thus, detailed quantitative data on urinary metabolites allow the assessment of renal function and its inference under various metabolic conditions.