The Pediatric Obesity Microbiome and Metabolism Study (POMMS): Methods, Baseline Data, and Early Insights

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish a biorepository of clinical, metabolomic, and microbiome samples from adolescents with obesity as they undergo lifestyle modification. Methods: A total of 223 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years with BMI ≥95th percentile were enrolled, along with 71 healthy weight participants. Clinical data, fasting serum, and fecal samples were collected at repeated intervals over 6 months. Herein, the study design, data collection methods, and interim analysis—including targeted serum metabolite measurements and fecal 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing among adolescents with obesity (n = 27) and healthy weight controls (n = 27)—are presented. Results: Adolescents with obesity have higher serum alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, and glycated hemoglobin, and they have lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol when compared with healthy weight controls. Metabolomics revealed differences in branched-chain amino acid–related metabolites. Also observed was a differential abundance of specific microbial taxa and lower species diversity among adolescents with obesity when compared with the healthy weight group. Conclusions: The Pediatric Metabolism and Microbiome Study (POMMS) biorepository is available as a shared resource. Early findings suggest evidence of a metabolic signature of obesity unique to adolescents, along with confirmation of previously reported findings that describe metabolic and microbiome markers of obesity.