Plasma proteomics identify potential severity biomarkers from COVID-19 associated network

Area of Science:

• * Proteomics and Systems Biology
• * Viral Pathogenesis and Host Response

Background:

• * Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a global health threat.
• * Understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced host cell signaling is crucial for therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To identify early severity biomarkers for COVID-19.
• * To monitor host cell pathways altered during SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• * To construct a host-viral protein interaction network.

Main Methods:

• * Systematic analysis of plasma proteomes from COVID-19 patients using mass spectrometry.
• * Monitoring of different disease severity grades (moderate, severe, critical) and periods (early, inflammatory, recovery).
• * Reconstruction and extension of the COVID-19 associated network with viral proteins.

Main Results:

• * 111 differentially expressed proteins identified, with 28 unique proteins enriching in immunoglobulin production.
• * CLEC3B, MST1, and ITIH2 identified as potential early predictors of COVID-19 severity.
• * The viral protein ORF8 was found to be highly connected, targeting host proteins involved in immune evasion.

Conclusions:

• * Plasma proteomes of critical COVID-19 patients form a distinct cluster.
• * Identified early severity markers warrant further clinical investigation for prognosis.
• * The constructed host-viral network provides insights into altered pathways and potential therapeutic targets.