Metabolomics in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-COV-2), causing enormous economic losses and serious health threats worldwide. Due to a lack of effective treatment, its rapid and sensitive diagnosis is more important. Since metabolomics analysis can provide massive amounts of data and allow rapid screening of metabolic biomarkers for disease pathogenesis, diagnosis as well as treatment, the method is a powerful tool in the fight against various diseases, including COVID-19.
Characteristics of the main metabolomics studies in COVID-19
Based on NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS), metabolomics has emerged as a powerful tool in biomedical research. Multiple metabolomics studies have been recently performed to study COVID-19, providing key information on metabolic dysregulations during the disease's progression. The experimental sample types and methods used are listed below. Among them, metabolomics approaches using saliva are attractive due to their ease of access and collection. It is reported that SARS-CoV-2 enters the organism through epithelial cell ACE2 receptors of the oral cavity and salivary glands. Therefore, saliva is an attractive target for metabolomics analysis with the potential for rapid, accurate, and sensitive diagnosis.
| Biological matrix |
Main method |
| Saliva |
1H NMR spectroscopy |
| Serum |
LC-MS/MS |
| Plasma (EDTA plasma) |
GC -MS |
| Blood |
LC-HR-MS |
| Urine |
Direct Infusion-Mass spectrometry (DI-MS) |
Metabolomics and SARS-CoV-2
Immunometabolomic studies on SARS-CoV-2 infections
Metabolomics studies using NMR and LC/MS were applied to compare whole blood metabolites from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients and control patients. There were several markers of inflammation identified in the study, involving alpha-1-cis glycoprotein signal A, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, and several lipids (e.g. triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins). A multi-omics study containing metabolomics (GC-MS and AEX LC-MS/MS), proteomics(NanoLC/MS/MS), lipidomics (LC/MS), and transcriptomics (RNA-seq) analyzed the blood of SARS-CoV-2-positive patient and control patients. Using a web-based application, the researchers demonstrated an increased wolverine/tryptophan ratio and an increased triglyceride in SARS-COV-2 positive patients, similar to the above study. These findings have suggested that immunometabolism plays an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Identify metabolic biomarkers of COVID-19 diseases
In addition to the immunometabolomic studies on SARS-CoV-2 infections, metabolomics has been used to identify host biomarkers of COVID-19 diseases. Based on a 1H-NMR and direct injection LC/MS/MS, 183 metabolites from plasma samples of COVID-19 patients were detected. The COVID-19 cases had a unique profile showing the changes in kynurenine, arginine, sarcosine, creatinine, and lysophosphatidylcholines levels. A recent study demonstrated that COVID-19 could be distinguished from healthy controls by comparing the arginine/kynurenine ratios. Notably, creatinine or arginine to creatinine ratio can predict mortality with up to 100% accuracy. Creatinine is likely to be a biomarker of the severity of COVID-19 disease. Metabolomics holds the potential for COVID-19 diagnostic uses, bypassing the need for PCR, a common test. More importantly, metabolomics can be employed to predict the severity of COVID-19 disease and thus the treatment needs of each case.
Metabolomics analysis is a new technology to investigate the metabolites produced by or altered in an organism, which provides a valuable approach for the study of complex diseases. Creative Proteomics has been developing metabolomics detection methods and data analysis methods for many years. Based on professional scientists and advanced platforms, we can accelerate our customers' projects to the next level. For more information on how we can help you, please feel free to contact us.
Reference
- Tounta V, et al. "Metabolomics in infectious diseases and drug discovery[J]." Molecular Omics, 2021, 17(3): 376-393.
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