Tier 4 — mechanistic

High plasma levels of betaine, a trimethylamine N-Oxide-related metabolite, are associated with the severity of cirrhosis

Eline H van den Berg, Jose L Flores-Guerrero, Erwin Garcia, Margery A Connelly, Vincent E de Meijer, TransplantLines Investigators, Stephan J L Bakker, Hans Blokzijl, Robin P F Dullaart
Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver 2023 43(2):424-433

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 35585781
PubMed Central
PMC10084422
DOI
10.1111/liv.15310
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: EG and MAC are employees of Labcorp, carried out the NMR measurements, and assisted with the interpretation of the data. Labcorp was not involved in the study design, data analysis, nor the decision to publish the results. VM reports a VENI research grant by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO; grant #09150161810030), a Research grant from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (Health~Holland Public Private Partnership grant #PPP‐2019‐024), and a Research grant from the Dutch Society for Gastroenterology (NVGE; #01–2021), all outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignCohort biomarker comparison
ModelHuman participants
Sample129 cirrhotic patients versus 4837 population participants; 13 transplant follow-ups
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationDisease assessment and transplant follow-up
EndpointsCirrhosis severity; Transplantation

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2023, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. It examined Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. The source describes 129 cirrhotic patients versus 4837 population participants; 13 transplant follow-ups.

Betaine was elevated with greater cirrhosis severity and fell after transplantation; it did not independently predict waiting-list mortality.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.

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Key findings

  • Betaine was elevated with greater cirrhosis severity and fell after transplantation; it did not independently predict waiting-list mortality.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Cirrhosis severity; Transplantation.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.
  • Source basis: Accessible full-text extract plus indexed bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Association of choline and betaine with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: Meta-analysis
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Editorial review

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology