Journal of Biomedical Science (Nov 2022)

Dynamic modulations of urinary sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid levels in COVID-19 and correlations with COVID-19-associated kidney injuries

  • Makoto Kurano,
  • Daisuke Jubishi,
  • Koh Okamoto,
  • Hideki Hashimoto,
  • Eri Sakai,
  • Yoshifumi Morita,
  • Daisuke Saigusa,
  • Kuniyuki Kano,
  • Junken Aoki,
  • Sohei Harada,
  • Shu Okugawa,
  • Kent Doi,
  • Kyoji Moriya,
  • Yutaka Yatomi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-022-00880-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 1
pp. 1 – 18

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Among various complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), renal complications, namely COVID-19-associated kidney injuries, are related to the mortality of COVID-19. Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we measured the sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids, which have been shown to possess potent biological properties, using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in 272 urine samples collected longitudinally from 91 COVID-19 subjects and 95 control subjects without infectious diseases, to elucidate the pathogenesis of COVID-19-associated kidney injuries. Results The urinary levels of C18:0, C18:1, C22:0, and C24:0 ceramides, sphingosine, dihydrosphingosine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylglycerol decreased, while those of phosphatidylserine, lysophosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine increased in patients with mild COVID-19, especially during the early phase (day 1–3), suggesting that these modulations might reflect the direct effects of infection with SARS-CoV-2. Generally, the urinary levels of sphingomyelin, ceramides, sphingosine, dihydrosphingosine, dihydrosphingosine l-phosphate, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, lysophosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, lysophosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and lysophosphatidylinositol increased, especially in patients with severe COVID-19 during the later phase, suggesting that their modulations might result from kidney injuries accompanying severe COVID-19. Conclusions Considering the biological properties of sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids, an understanding of their urinary modulations in COVID-19 will help us to understand the mechanisms causing COVID-19-associated kidney injuries as well as general acute kidney injuries and may prompt researchers to develop laboratory tests for predicting maximum severity and/or novel reagents to suppress the renal complications of COVID-19.

Keywords