The biomarkers' landscape of post-COVID-19 patients can suggest selective clinical interventions

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 22496
• Main Authors: Paris, Debora, Palomba, Letizia, Albertini, Maria Cristina, Tramice, Annabella, Motta, Lorenzo, Giammattei, Eleonora, Ambrosino, Pasquale, Maniscalco, Mauro, Motta, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 15.12.2023; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Cardiovascular system; Complications; COVID-19; Humans; Lung - metabolism; Metabolites; Metabolomics; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; miRNA; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Phenotype; Phenotypes
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49601-4

In COVID-19 clinical symptoms can persist even after negativization also in individuals who have had mild or moderate disease. We here investigated the biomarkers that define the post-COVID-19 clinical state analyzing the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of 38 post COVID-19 patients and 38 sex and age-matched healthy controls via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. Predicted gene-modulated microRNAs (miRNAs) related to COVID-19 were quantified from EBC of 10 patients and 10 controls. Finally, clinical parameters from all post-COVID-19 patients were correlated with metabolomic data. Post-COVID-19 patients and controls showed different metabolic phenotype ("metabotype"). From the metabolites, by using enrichment analysis we identified miRNAs that resulted up-regulated (hsa-miR146a-5p) and down-regulated (hsa-miR-126-3p and hsa-miR-223-3p) in post-COVID-19. Taken together, our multiomics data indicate that post-COVID-19 patients before rehabilitation are characterized by persistent inflammation, dysregulation of liver, endovascular thrombotic and pulmonary processes, and physical impairment, which should be the primary clinical targets to contrast the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.