Mitochondrial dysfunction, lipids metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis are key pathways for COVID-19 recovery

The metabolic alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection reflect disease progression. To analyze molecules involved in these metabolic changes, a multiomics study was performed using plasma from 103 patients with different degrees of COVID-19 severity during the evolution of the infection. With the increased severity of COVID-19, changes in circulating proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic profiles increased. Notably, the group of severe and critical patients with high HRG and ChoE (20:3) and low alpha-ketoglutaric acid levels had a high chance of unfavorable disease evolution (AUC = 0.925). Consequently, patients with the worst prognosis presented alterations in the TCA cycle (mitochondrial dysfunction), lipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and coagulation. Our findings increase knowledge regarding how SARS-CoV-2 infection affects different metabolic pathways and help in understanding the future consequences of COVID-19 to identify potential therapeutic targets.

Automated summary

A multiomics study on patients with different degrees of COVID-19 severity revealed that metabolic alterations were associated with disease progression. Specifically, severe and critical patients with high HRG and ChoE (20:3) levels and low alpha-ketoglutaric acid levels had a higher chance of unfavorable disease evolution. These findings provide insights into the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on metabolic pathways and contribute to the identification of potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19.