Injury. 2025 Dec 4;57(2):112934. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2025.112934. Online ahead of print.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a leading cause of trauma-related mortality within 30 days in severe trauma patients. Current diagnostic methods have limitations, leading to an urgent need to identify early diagnostic biomarkers of VTE.

OBJECTIVE: To screen early diagnostic biomarkers of VTE following severe trauma by integrating metabolomics and proteomics.

METHOD: The existing plasma metabolomics and proteomics data from 72 severe trauma patients with (22 cases) and without (49 cases) VTE were retrospectively analyzed. By comparing two groups, early diagnostic biomarkers of VTE in severe trauma patients were identified.

RESULTS: 210 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) and 11 DEPs (DEPs) were identified. We screened the top 10 DEMs and 11 DEPs as early diagnostic biomarkers for VTE after severe trauma, then developed two panels using top 10 DEMs (AUC=0.952) and 11 DEPs (AUC=0.955), respectively. By integrating metabolomics and proteomics, we developed a diagnostic panel consisting of LPC16:0 and FA7, which demonstrated superior diagnostic efficacy (AUC = 0.937).

CONCLUSION: This study identified potential biomarkers of VTE after severe trauma, providing a novel strategy for early precision diagnosis, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of VTE after severe trauma, and establishing a translational framework for developing early diagnostic biomarker panels.

PubMed:41365279 | DOI:10.1016/j.injury.2025.112934