Altered Lipid Profile in COVID-19 Patients and Metabolic Reprogramming

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 13; p. 863802
• Main Authors: Zhao, Tie, Wang, Chunhui, Duan, Biyan, Yang, Peipei, Wu, Jianguo, Zhang, Qiwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 12.05.2022
• Subjects: COVID-19; dyslipidemias; lipid; metabolic reprogramming; Microbiology; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; dyslipidemias; lipid; metabolic reprogramming
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.863802

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 a bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the essential data of the lipid profile as well as the possible mechanism in patients with COVID-19. First of all, the retrospective study included three cohorts: patients with COVID-19, a healthy 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 exploring the biological or immunological mechanisms. In line with the biochemical data of the three cohorts, the statistical result displayed that patients with COVID-19 were more likely to have lower levels of TC and HDL-C as compared with healthy individuals. The differential proteins associated with COVID-19 are involved in the 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. The metabolic reprogramming after SARS-CoV-2 infections is probably associated with the immune and clinical phenotype of patients. Hence, metabolic reprogramming may be targeted for developing antivirals against COVID-19.