Abstract
Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection has, as of April 2021, affected >133 million people worldwide, causing >2.5 million deaths. Because the large majority of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic, major concerns have been raised about possible long-term consequences of the infection.
Methods: Wedeveloped an antigen capture assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in urine samples from patients with COVID-19whose diagnosis was confirmed by positive PCR results from nasopharyngeal swabs (NP-PCR+) forSARS-CoV-2. We used a collection of 233 urine samples from 132 participants from Yale New Haven Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that were obtained during the pandemic (106 NP-PCR+ and 26 NP-PCR-), and a collection of 20 urine samples from 20 individuals collected before the pandemic.
Results: Our analysis identified 23 out of 91 (25%) NP-PCR+ adult participants with SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 protein in urine (Ur-S+). Interestingly, although all NP-PCR+ children were Ur-S-, one child who was NP-PCR- was found to be positive for spike protein in their urine. Of the 23 adults who were Ur-S+, only one individual showed detectable viral RNA in urine. Our analysis further showed that 24% and 21% of adults who were NP-PCR+ had high levels of albumin and cystatin C, respectively, in their urine. Among individuals with albuminuria (>0.3 mg/mg of creatinine), statistical correlation could be found between albumin and spike protein in urine.
Conclusions: Together, our data showed that one of four individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop renal abnormalities, such as albuminuria. Awareness about the long-term effect of these findings is warranted.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; acute kidney injury and ICU nephrology; body fluids; coronavirus; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; spike glycoprotein; spike protein; viral envelope proteins.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, spike glycoprotein, Spike protein, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, acute kidney injury and ICU nephrology, body fluids, viral envelope proteins., 【초록키워드】 pandemic, SARS-COV-2 infection, children, spike glycoprotein, Infection, Diagnosis, Acute kidney injury, cystatin C, ICU, Spike protein, Antigen, Nasopharyngeal swab, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Asymptomatic, nasopharyngeal swabs, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, Patient, albumin, Awareness, Urine, Philadelphia, Viral RNA, correlation, creatinine, Analysis, deaths, body fluids, be positive, in urine, Children's Hospital, antigen capture assay, enzyme, viral envelope proteins, individual, participant, S1 protein, one individual, positive, positive PCR, albuminuria, positive PCR result, consequence, statistical, enzyme-linked immunosorbent, renal abnormalities, affected, detect, collected, develop, detectable, raised, majority, New, infected with SARS-CoV-2, participants with SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 spike, Spike protein,