A Comparative NMR-based Metabolomics Study of Lung Parenchyma of Severe COVID‑19 Patients

COVID-19 was the most significant infectious-agent-related cause of death in the 2020-2021 period. While the upper respiratory tract and lungs are the principal sites of infection and injury, most studies on the metabolic signatures in COVID-19 patients have been carried out on serum and plasma samples. In this report we attempt to characterize the metabolome of lung parenchyma extracts from fatal COVID-19 cases and compare them with that from other respiratory diseases. Our findings provides additional insights into the pathophysiology of COVID-19 that could lead to the development of targeted therapies for the treatment of severe cases of the disease, and further highlight the potential of metabolomic approaches in COVID-19 research.

2020至2021年间，新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）是与病原体相关的最主要致死病因。尽管上呼吸道与肺脏是感染及损伤的主要靶部位，但当前针对新型冠状病毒肺炎患者代谢特征的研究多以血清与血浆样本为载体。本研究旨在对新型冠状病毒肺炎致死病例的肺实质提取物进行代谢组（metabolome）表征，并将其与其他呼吸道疾病患者肺实质提取物的代谢组进行对比分析。本研究的发现可为新型冠状病毒肺炎的病理生理学机制提供新的见解，有望推动针对该病重症病例的靶向治疗方案开发，同时进一步凸显了代谢组学（metabolomics）方法在新型冠状病毒肺炎研究中的应用潜力。