SARS-CoV-2 NMR-based Metabolomics Research

Metabolic phenotyping using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been applied to the characterization of the metabolic effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on human blood plasma. The hybrid NMR-MS model demonstrated a sensitivity of 100 % for SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing it to be an exceptionally powerful tool for the metabolic discrimination of samples infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The signature of SARS-CoV-2 positivity includes elements of liver dysfunction, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease risk. Heating of blood samples to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to incorrect biomarker identification. Heat-treatment (56 °C for 30 minutes; the standard protocol used for inactivation of SARS CoV-2 in blood samples analyzed in laboratories without high-level biosecurity facilities) shown to degrade lipoproteins and differentially alter metabolic information. Data related to SARS CoV-2 obtained from heat-treated samples are largely uninterpretable and are of limited research value. 

Target audience:

Researchers who are working on clinical field, typically COVID-19 disease.