Potential role of body fluid 1H NMR metabonomics as a prognostic and diagnostic tool

This review briefly handles the use of H-1 NMR spectroscopy in lipoprotein subclass analytics. Potential diagnostic uses of H-1 NMR metabonomics of human serum for coronary heart disease, diabetic nephropathy and cancer are also discussed. In addition, miscellaneous recent applications of NMR metabonomics (e.g., a pharmacometabonomic tactic to personalize drug treatment) as well as multi-organ, multispecies and multi-omics approaches to molecular systems biology are featured. Some related experimental and data analysis methodologies are briefly introduced with respect to the biochemical rationales. Critical considerations on the potential diagnostic value of in vitro H-1 NMR are presented together with optimism toward the usage of body fluid H-1 NMR metabonomics in disease risk assessment and as an aid for personalized medicine.