To identify genetically predicted associations between urinary metabolites and psychiatric disorders as potential biomarkers for differential diagnosis, with implications for clinical practice.
Key Findings:
No significant associations for autism spectrum condition, major depressive disorder, or Tourette syndrome.
21 associations were exclusive to single disorders: 5 with schizophrenia, 15 with bipolar disorder, and 1 with ADHD, highlighting the potential for misdiagnosis.
Inverse association between urinary tyrosine levels and schizophrenia risk was the most robust finding.
Overlap in metabolite associations between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, with 22 shared analytes, suggesting clinical relevance.
Interpretation:
The findings suggest potential urinary biomarkers for psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but require further validation.
Limitations:
Findings should not be interpreted as clinically validated biomarkers.
Urinary analyte levels may vary with hydration, diet, and activity.
Limited ability to perform extensive sensitivity analyses due to reliance on single-nucleotide polymorphism instruments.
Statistical power limitations for some psychiatric disorder datasets, potentially affecting findings for major depressive disorder, autism spectrum condition, and Tourette syndrome.
Overlap in metabolite associations may lead to misdiagnosis in real-world patient populations.
Conclusion:
Further validation is needed before clinical application, including targeted metabolomics studies and replication across diverse populations to ensure generalizability.
