- Bruzzone, Chiara;
- Bizkarguenaga, Maider;
- Gil-Redondo, Rubén;
- Diercks, Tammo;
- Arana, Eunate;
- de Vicuña, Aitor García;
- Seco, Marisa;
- Bosch, Alexandre;
- Palazón, Asís;
- San Juan, Itxaso;
- Laín, Ana;
- Gil-Martínez, Jon;
- Bernardo-Seisdedos, Ganeko;
- Fernández-Ramos, David;
- Lopitz-Otsoa, Fernando;
- Embade, Nieves;
- Lu, Shelly;
- Mato, José M;
- Millet, Oscar
COVID-19 is a systemic infection that exerts significant impact on the metabolism. Yet, there is little information on how SARS-CoV-2 affects metabolism. Using NMR spectroscopy, we measured the metabolomic and lipidomic serum profile from 263 (training cohort) + 135 (validation cohort) symptomatic patients hospitalized after positive PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also established the profiles of 280 persons collected before the coronavirus pandemic started. Principal-component analysis discriminated both cohorts, highlighting the impact that the infection has on overall metabolism. The lipidomic analysis unraveled a pathogenic redistribution of the lipoprotein particle size and composition to increase the atherosclerotic risk. In turn, metabolomic analysis reveals abnormally high levels of ketone bodies (acetoacetic acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetone) and 2-hydroxybutyric acid, a readout of hepatic glutathione synthesis and marker of oxidative stress. Our results are consistent with a model in which SARS-CoV-2 infection induces liver damage associated with dyslipidemia and oxidative stress.