Objective To assess the metabolic profile of Systemic Erythematosus Lupus patients and verify its association with clinical manifestations and disease activity.

Methods It was a Cross-sectional study of individuals with SLE aged 20 years or older at the Rheumatology unit of the Professor Alberto Antunes University Hospital – Federal University of Alagoas. Controls were age-matched and had no autoimmune disease. Metabolomic analysis of blood plasma was performed in patients and controls. The distinction of metabolites between groups was made by OPLS-DA (orthogonal least squares plot), and various permutations were defined as 2000 to evaluate the model. Important metabolites were selected by VIP threshold based on VIP plot (Importance plot variable) ≥ 1.5. The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaboration Clinics (SLICC) damage index were applied.

Results The sample consisted of 79 SLE patients and 45 controls. OPLS showed that SLE was discriminated from controls, with Q 2 0.778, R2Y 0.901 and p < 0.05. Variable A VIP (important projection variable) found the metabolites glutathione, tyrosine, phenylalanine, alanine, methylhistidine, glutamine and histidine different between patients with SLE and controls, who demonstrated VIP ≥ 1.5.

Conclusions We found a discriminating metabolomic profile between SLE and control. This could be explained by the mains pathways demanding during the oxidative stress with decreased of ATP production, increase of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROS), activation of mTORC1 and increased glucose flux. These metabolites are potential biomarkers for SLE, but more studies are needed to validate these findings due to multiple factors that may influence.