Fucosylated N-glycans as early biomarkers of COVID-19 severity
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Published:2023-06-05
Issue:
Volume:14
Page:
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ISSN:1664-3224
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Container-title:Frontiers in Immunology
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language:
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Short-container-title:Front. Immunol.
Author:
Paton Beatrix,Herrero Pol,Peraire Joaquim,del Pino Antoni,Chafino Silvia,Martinez-Picado Javier,Gómez-Bertomeu Fréderic,Rull Anna,Canela Núria,Suárez Manuel
Abstract
BackgroundThe pathological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 in humans remain unclear and the unpredictability of COVID-19 progression may be attributed to the absence of biomarkers that contribute to the prognosis of this disease. Therefore, the discovery of biomarkers is needed for reliable risk stratification and to identify patients who are more likely to progress to a critical stage.MethodsAiming to identify new biomarkers we analysed N-glycan traits in plasma from 196 patients with COVID-19. Samples were classified into three groups according to their severity (mild, severe and critical) and obtained at diagnosis (baseline) and at 4 weeks of follow-up (postdiagnosis), to evaluate their behaviour through disease progression. N-glycans were released with PNGase F and labelled with Rapifluor-MS, followed by their analysis by LC-MS/MS. The Simglycan structural identification tool and Glycostore database were employed to predict the structure of glycans.ResultsWe determined that plasma from SARS-CoV-2-infected patients display different N-glycosylation profiles depending on the disease severity. Specifically, levels of fucosylation and galactosylation decreased with increasing severity and Fuc1Hex5HexNAc5 was identified as the most suitable biomarker to stratify patients at diagnosis and distinguish mild from critical outcomes.ConclusionIn this study we explored the global plasma glycosignature, reflecting the inflammatory state of the organs during the infectious disease. Our findings show the promising potential of glycans as biomarkers of COVID-19 severity.
Funder
Direcció General de Recerca, Generalitat de Catalunya
Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca
Institut d'Investigació Sanitária Pere Virgili
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
European Regional Development Fund
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Subject
Immunology,Immunology and Allergy