AUTHOR=Zhao Tie , Wang Chunhui , Duan Biyan , Yang Peipei , Wu Jianguo , Zhang Qiwei 

TITLE=Altered Lipid Profile in COVID-19 Patients and Metabolic Reprogramming

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.863802

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.863802

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic. Previous studies have reported dyslipidemia in patients with COVID-19. Herein, we conducted a retrospective study and bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the essential of the lipid profile as well as the possible mechanism in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: First of all, the retrospective study included three cohorts, COVID-19 patients, health examination population and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For each subject, serum lipid profiles in the biochemical data were compared, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses were performed for biological or immunologic mechanism exploration. 

Results: In line with the biochemical data of the three cohorts, statistical result displayed that the COVID-19 patients were more likely to have lower levels of TC and HDL-C as compared with healthy individuals. The different proteins associated with COVID-19 are involved in lipid pathway, and can target and regulate cytokines and immune cells. Additionally, a heatmap revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections were possibly involved in lipid metabolic reprogramming. The viral proteins, such as Spike (S) and Non-structural protein 2 (Nsp2) of SARS-CoV-2 may be involved in metabolic reprogramming.

Conclusion: The metabolic reprogramming post SARS-CoV-2 infections is probably associated with immune and clinical phenotype of patients. Hence, the metabolic reprogramming may be targeted for developing antivirals against COVID-19.