Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma Amino Acids in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Kano

Chronic kidney disease alters the plasma amino acid profile through impaired renal synthesis, increased catabolism, and dietary restriction, and metabolomic analysis of these changes may yield new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This study undertakes plasma amino acid metabolomic profiling in patients with chronic kidney disease at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, North West Nigeria, using targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A cross-sectional analytical design was adopted, recruiting 80 CKD patients staged 3 to 5 and 60 healthy controls. Essential, non-essential, and conditionally essential amino acid concentrations were quantified. CKD staging was performed using estimated glomerular filtration rate and the CKD-EPI equation. The relationship between amino acid profiles and markers of nutritional status, inflammation, and renal function was explored. Principal component analysis was applied to identify metabolomic patterns distinguishing CKD patients from controls and to detect stage-specific amino acid signatures. The study aims to identify amino acid biomarkers that reflect CKD severity and nutritional deterioration more sensitively than conventional markers. Findings will contribute to the emerging metabolomics literature for CKD management in African populations. Keywords: metabolomics, amino acids, chronic kidney disease, LC-MS/MS, Kano.