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SARS-CoV2 Infection Alters Tryptophan Catabolism and Phospholipid Metabolism

Gagandeep Kaur1, Xiangming Ji2, Irfan Rahman1

  • 1Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.

Metabolites
|October 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 patients show altered lipid and tryptophan metabolism compared to recovered individuals. These metabolic changes, particularly increased phospholipids and tryptophan metabolites, may play a role in the disease

Area of Science:

  • Metabolomics
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global health crisis due to incomplete understanding of its pathophysiology and host immune response.
  • Identifying metabolic alterations in COVID-19 patients is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare serum metabolic profiles of COVID-19-positive patients and recovered individuals.
  • To identify specific metabolic changes associated with COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) for serum metabolite analysis.
  • Compared metabolite levels between COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-recovered cohorts.

Main Results:

  • Significantly elevated levels of serum phospholipids (sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines) and arachidonic acid were observed in COVID-19 patients.
  • Increased levels of tryptophan and its metabolites were detected in COVID-19 patients, suggesting a role in pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Lipid and tryptophan metabolism are significantly altered during COVID-19 infection.
  • Further research into these metabolic pathways across disease stages is needed to understand host-pathogen interactions and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV2lipid metabolismmetabolomictryptophan metabolism

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