Evaluation of amino acids and acylcarnitines profile in SARS-CoV-2 infected volunteers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a worldwide public health crisis. Early detection and effective treatment of infected patients are the main challenges. In this context, we intend to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic capacity of amino acids and acylcarnitines present in urine, to understand the importance of these molecules and their metabolic pathways in the evolution of COVID-19. For this study, the collection of urine samples has already been carried out between July and December 2020, with the approval of the Ethical Board Committee (CAAE: 31573020.9.0000.5514) in hospitals of the region of Bragança Paulista. The study includes volunteers hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection (N = 103) and also due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome unrelated to SARS-CoV-2 (N = 43). In addition, urine samples from non-hospitalized volunteers who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 (N = 104) were collected as a negative control. Only volunteers with available diagnosis by RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) were included in the study. Herein, we aim at adapting the known method for neonatal screening using tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of amino acids and acylcarnitines in the urine of SARS-CoV-2 patients, in comparison to non-infected volunteers. Multivariate statistical analysis tools will be used, such as LASSO. The use of MS, added to available clinical information, will enable the determination of the amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles of patients infected with COVID-19 in comparison with healthy volunteers and patients with SARS from other etiologies, assessing whether the metabolic changes show a correlation with the diagnosis and progression of COVID-19 . Thus, this work may provide important data on the function of amino acids and acylcarnitines, and demonstrate the potential for use of urine for the diagnosis of COVID-19.