The effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the plasma oxylipins and PUFAs of COVID-19 patients

Denise Biagini; Paolo Oliveri; Andreina Baj; Daniela Dalla Gasperina; Francesca Drago Ferrante; Tommaso Lomonaco; Silvia Ghimenti; Alessio Lenzi; Andrea Bonini; Federico Vivaldi; Camille Oger; Jean-Marie Galano; Laurence Balas; Thierry Durand; Fabrizio Maggi; Fabio Di Francesco

doi:10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106770

The effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the plasma oxylipins and PUFAs of COVID-19 patients

Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 2023 Dec:169:106770. doi: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106770. Epub 2023 Aug 24.

Authors

Denise Biagini¹, Paolo Oliveri², Andreina Baj³, Daniela Dalla Gasperina³, Francesca Drago Ferrante⁴, Tommaso Lomonaco⁵, Silvia Ghimenti⁵, Alessio Lenzi⁵, Andrea Bonini⁵, Federico Vivaldi⁵, Camille Oger⁶, Jean-Marie Galano⁶, Laurence Balas⁶, Thierry Durand⁶, Fabrizio Maggi⁷, Fabio Di Francesco⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: denise.biagini@dcci.unipi.it.
² Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Italy.
³ Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
⁴ Laboratory of Microbiology, ASST Sette Laghi, Varese, Italy.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
⁶ Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, UMR 5247 CNRS, France.
⁷ Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" - IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
⁸ Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.difrancesco@unipi.it.

PMID: 37633481
DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106770

Abstract

Oxylipins are important signalling compounds that are significantly involved in the regulation of the immune system and the resolution of inflammation. Lipid metabolism is strongly activated upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, however the modulating effects of oxylipins induced by different variants remain unexplored. Here, we compare the plasma profiles of thirty-seven oxylipins and four PUFAs in subjects infected with Wild-type, Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants. The results suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation resulting from COVID-19 were highly dependent on the SARS-CoV-2 variant, and that the Wild-type elicited the strongest inflammatory storm. The Alpha and Delta variants induced a comparable lipid profile alteration upon infection, which differed significantly from Omicron. The latter variant increased the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and decreased the levels of omega-3 PUFA in infected patients. We speculate that changes in therapeutics, vaccination, and prior infections may have a role in the alteration of the oxylipin profile besides viral mutations. The results shed new light on the evolution of the inflammatory response in COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Inflammation; Lipid mediator; Mass spectrometry; Variants; Viral infection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
Humans
Inflammation
Oxylipins
SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

Oxylipins
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants