Purine degradation pathway metabolites at birth and the risk of lower respiratory tract infections in infancy.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide, and altered metabolite production is recognised as a critical factor in LRTI pathogenesis.

Methods: This study aimed to identify prenatal metabolic changes associated with LRTI risk in infancy, using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry unbiased metabolomics analysis on cord blood from 810 full-term newborns.

Results: We identified 22 compounds linked to LRTIs in infancy, enriched for purine degradation pathway (PDP) metabolites.