Plasma metabolomic profiling of patients recovered from COVID-19 with pulmonary sequelae 3 months after discharge

Xu, Juanjuan; Zhou, Mei; Luo, Ping; Yin, Zhengrong; Wang, Sufei; Liao, Tingting; Yang, Fan; Wang, Zhen; Yang, Dan; Peng, Yi; Geng, Wei; Li, Yunyun; Zhang, Hui; Yang, Jin

BACKGROUND: Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may help to discover therapeutic targets. METHODS: To determine the metabolomic profile of circulating plasma from COVID-19 survivors with pulmonary sequelae 3 months after discharge, a random, outcome-stratified case-control sample was analyzed. We enrolled 103 recovered COVID-19 patients as well as 27 healthy donors, and performed pulmonary function tests, computerized tomography (CT) scans, laboratory examinations, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Plasma metabolite profiles of COVID-19 survivors with abnormal pulmonary function were evidently different from those of healthy donors or subjects with normal pulmonary function. These alterations were associated with disease severity and mainly involved amino acid, and glycerophospholipid metabolic pathways. Furthermore, increased levels of triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholines, prostaglandin E2, arginine, and decreased levels of betain and adenosine were associated with pulmonary CO diffusing capacity and total lung capacity. The global plasma metabolomic profile differed between subjects with abnormal and normal pulmonary function. CONCLUSIONS: Further metabolite-based analysis may help to identify the mechanisms underlying pulmonary dysfunction in COVID-19 survivors, and provide potential therapeutic targets in the future.