COVID-19: A complex disease with a unique metabolic signature.

Plasma of COVID-19 patients contains a strong metabolomic/lipoproteomic signature, revealed by the NMR analysis of a cohort of >500 patients sampled during various waves of COVID-19 infection, corresponding to the spread of different variants, and having different vaccination status. This composi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Veronica Ghini, Walter Vieri, Tommaso Celli, Valentina Pecchioli, Nunzia Boccia, Tania Alonso-Vásquez, Lorenzo Pelagatti, Marco Fondi, Claudio Luchinat, Laura Bertini, Vieri Vannucchi, Giancarlo Landini, Paola Turano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-11-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1011787
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Summary:Plasma of COVID-19 patients contains a strong metabolomic/lipoproteomic signature, revealed by the NMR analysis of a cohort of >500 patients sampled during various waves of COVID-19 infection, corresponding to the spread of different variants, and having different vaccination status. This composite signature highlights common traits of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most dysregulated molecules display concentration trends that scale with disease severity and might serve as prognostic markers for fatal events. Metabolomics evidence is then used as input data for a sex-specific multi-organ metabolic model. This reconstruction provides a comprehensive view of the impact of COVID-19 on the entire human metabolism. The human (male and female) metabolic network is strongly impacted by the disease to an extent dictated by its severity. A marked metabolic reprogramming at the level of many organs indicates an increase in the generic energetic demand of the organism following infection. Sex-specific modulation of immune response is also suggested.
ISSN:1553-7366
1553-7374