Department of Medicine B for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Clinical Infectiology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
IZKF Core Unit Proteomics, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Molecules. 2022 Apr 12;27(8):2495. doi: 10.3390/molecules27082495.
(1) Background: ACE and CPN serum activity correlated with disease severity in an earlier study of 45 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The serum protein profile was investigated in the same cohort here to shed more light on the involvement of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). (2) Methods: High-definition mass spectrometry-based protein expression analysis was performed, followed by multivariate statistical and network analyses. (3) Results: The protein profiles of hospitalized patients (HoP) differed significantly from those of convalescent and healthy probands. Surprisingly, HoP samples separated into six groups according to their protein profiles: group (G) 1 represented the youngest and the least afflicted patients, and G6 the oldest and critically ill patients. At least two major pathophysiological schemes were indicated based on differing involvement of the kallikrein-kinin system (KKS), the RAS and complement activation. The serum angiotensinogen concentration increased with disease severity. (4) Conclusions: The important role of the RAS in the response to COVID-19 infection was substantiated, but other pathways such as the KKS, plasminogen activation and complement activation influence the systemic response to the infection.
(1) 背景：在对 45 名住院 COVID-19 患者的早期研究中，ACE 和 CPN 血清活性与疾病严重程度相关。本研究对同一队列中的血清蛋白谱进行了调查，以更深入地了解肾素-血管紧张素系统（RAS）的参与情况。(2) 方法：进行基于高清晰度质谱的蛋白质表达分析，然后进行多元统计和网络分析。(3) 结果：住院患者（HoP）的蛋白谱与恢复期和健康个体的蛋白谱有显著差异。令人惊讶的是，根据蛋白谱，HoP 样本可分为六组：G1 组代表最年轻和病情最轻的患者，而 G6 组代表最年长和病情最危急的患者。至少有两个主要的病理生理方案表明，基于激肽释放酶-激肽系统（KKS）、RAS 和补体激活的不同参与程度。血清血管紧张素原浓度随疾病严重程度而增加。(4) 结论：RAS 在对 COVID-19 感染的反应中的重要作用得到了证实，但其他途径，如 KKS、纤溶酶原激活和补体激活，也会影响对感染的全身反应。
