Metabolomics analysis reveals a modified amino acid metabolism that correlates with altered oxygen homeostasis in COVID-19 patients
José C. Páez-Franco, Jiram Torres‐Ruiz, Víctor A. Sosa‐Hernández, Rodrigo Cervantes‐Díaz, Sandra Romero‐Ramírez, Alfredo Pérez‐Fragoso, David Eduardo Meza-Sánchez, Juan Manuel Germán-Acacio, José Luis Maravillas‐Montero, Nancy R. Mejía‐Domínguez, Alfredo Ponce‐de‐León, Alfredo Ulloa‐Aguirre, Diana Gómez‐Martín, Luis Llorente
Abstract
We identified the main changes in serum metabolites associated with severe (n = 46) and mild (n = 19) COVID-19 patients by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The modified metabolic profiles were associated to an altered amino acid catabolism in hypoxic conditions. Noteworthy, three α-hydroxyl acids of amino acid origin increased with disease severity and correlated with altered oxygen saturation levels and clinical markers of lung damage. We hypothesize that the enzymatic conversion of α-keto-acids to α- hydroxyl-acids helps to maintain NAD recycling in patients with altered oxygen levels, highlighting the potential relevance of amino acid supplementation during SARS-CoV-2 infection.