A comparative NMR-based metabolomics study of lung parenchyma of severe COVID‑19 patients

The COVID-19 pandemic was the leading cause of mortality due to a single infectious agent in 2020 and 2021. The fatality rate for individuals admitted to the ICU for this condition was over 60%. A metabolomic analysis based on nuclear magnetic resonance was performed on patients who died in the ICU due COVID-19 and other fatal respiratory diseases. Although there is information on metabolic signatures in COVID-19 patients' serum and plasma, little is known about the infection site in the lungs. We found statistically significant differences between metabolites related to energy metabolism and inflammatory processes, revealing a unique metabolic profile.