Characterization of serotonin as a candidate biomarker of severity and prognosis of COVID-19 using LC/MS analysis

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with high mortality worldwide. Owing to its complicated pathophysiology, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for effective patient management remain scarce. We analyzed kynurenine, tryptophan, and serotonin levels in the serum of patients with COVID-19 via liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Serum serotonin levels were decreased in patients with more severe COVID-19, along with increased kynurenine and decreased tryptophan concentrations. Patients with moderate disease who subsequently worsened showed significantly lower serotonin concentrations compared with those who did not experience severe disease. Serum serotonin levels may represent a valuable biomarker for COVID-19 severity and prognosis. ?? 2022 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Japanese Pharmacological Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Serum serotonin levels were found to be decreased in COVID-19 patients with more severe disease, along with increased kynurenine and decreased tryptophan concentrations. Lower serotonin concentrations were associated with subsequent worsening of moderate disease, suggesting it may be a valuable biomarker for disease severity and prognosis.