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Phospholipid remodeling and its derivatives are associated with COVID-19 severity

Juntong Wei1, Xiaoyu Liu2, Weimin Xiao3

  • 1Department of Respirology and Allergy. Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University. Shenzhen, China; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease for Allergy at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|February 3, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Phospholipid metabolism alterations, particularly specific phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine ratios, can predict COVID-19 severity. These phospholipid changes may play a role in disease progression and pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Early classification of severe COVID-19 cases is challenging, hindering timely intervention and effective mortality reduction.
  • Understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate circulating phospholipid metabolite levels and their correlation with COVID-19 severity.
  • To explore the potential role of phospholipids in COVID-19 disease progression.

Main Methods:

  • Nontargeted lipidomic analysis of plasma samples from COVID-19 patients with varying severity, healthy individuals, and subjects with metabolic disease.
  • Statistical analysis to identify correlations between phospholipid ratios and disease severity.

Main Results:

  • Significant alterations in phospholipid metabolism were observed in COVID-19 patients.
  • Specific phosphatidylcholine (PC)/lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)/lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) ratios correlated significantly with COVID-19 severity.
  • Lower ratios of (PC16:1/22:6)/LPC 16:1 and (PE18:1/22:6)/LPE 18:1 were indicative of severe COVID-19.
  • Elevated LPC 16:1 and LPE 18:1 levels contributed to altered lipid ratios and demonstrated membrane perturbation, increased intracellular calcium, cytokines, and apoptosis in cellular models.

Conclusions:

  • Remodeling of phospholipid metabolism is present in severe COVID-19.
  • Specific phospholipids may serve as valuable biomarkers for evaluating COVID-19 severity and understanding its pathogenesis.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19LPC 16:1LPE 18:1lipidomicsphospholipid ratio

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