CONAHCyT-Metabolomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Academic Unit of Biological Sciences, Autonomous University of Zacatecas, 98000, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Department of Health Research, Christus Muguerza del Parque Hospital - University of Monterrey, 31125, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 1;13(1):12420. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-39049-x.
One of the major challenges currently faced by global health systems is the prolonged COVID-19 syndrome (also known as "long COVID") which has emerged as a consequence of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. It is estimated that at least 30% of patients who have had COVID-19 will develop long COVID. In this study, our goal was to assess the plasma metabolome in a total of 100 samples collected from healthy controls, COVID-19 patients, and long COVID patients recruited in Mexico between 2020 and 2022. A targeted metabolomics approach using a combination of LC-MS/MS and FIA MS/MS was performed to quantify 108 metabolites. IL-17 and leptin were measured in long COVID patients by immunoenzymatic assay. The comparison of paired COVID-19/long COVID-19 samples revealed 53 metabolites that were statistically different. Compared to controls, 27 metabolites remained dysregulated even after two years. Post-COVID-19 patients displayed a heterogeneous metabolic profile. Lactic acid, lactate/pyruvate ratio, ornithine/citrulline ratio, and arginine were identified as the most relevant metabolites for distinguishing patients with more complicated long COVID evolution. Additionally, IL-17 levels were significantly increased in these patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction, redox state imbalance, impaired energy metabolism, and chronic immune dysregulation are likely to be the main hallmarks of long COVID even two years after acute COVID-19 infection.
目前，全球卫生系统面临的主要挑战之一是 COVID-19 后综合征（也称为“长新冠”），这是 SARS-CoV-2 流行的后果。据估计，至少 30%的 COVID-19 患者会发展成长新冠。在这项研究中，我们的目标是评估 2020 年至 2022 年间在墨西哥招募的 100 名健康对照、COVID-19 患者和长新冠患者的血浆代谢组。使用 LC-MS/MS 和 FIA MS/MS 组合进行靶向代谢组学分析，以定量测定 108 种代谢物。通过免疫酶测定法测量长新冠患者的 IL-17 和瘦素。对配对的 COVID-19/长新冠样本进行比较，发现有 53 种代谢物存在统计学差异。与对照组相比，即使在两年后，仍有 27 种代谢物失调。新冠后患者表现出异质的代谢特征。乳酸、乳酸/丙酮酸比、鸟氨酸/瓜氨酸比和精氨酸被确定为区分更复杂的长新冠演变患者的最相关代谢物。此外，这些患者的 IL-17 水平显著升高。线粒体功能障碍、氧化还原状态失衡、能量代谢受损和慢性免疫失调可能是急性 COVID-19 感染后两年长新冠的主要特征。
