Highlights • This study with MALDI-TOF comprises, as far as we know, the first report describing the performance of this technology with COVID-19 diagnosis. • This work would encourage researchers to explore the potential of MALDI-TOF MS to assess the feasibility of this technology, as a rapid and reproducible screening tool for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. • According to our preliminary results, mass spectrometry-based methods combined with multivariate analysis showed potential as a complementary diagnostic tool. Coronavirus disease 2019, known as COVID-19, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The early, sensitive and specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus is widely recognized as the critical point in responding to the ongoing outbreak. Currently, the diagnosis is based on molecular real time RT-PCR techniques, although their implementation is being threatened due to the extraordinary demand for supplies worldwide. That is why the development of alternative and / or complementary tests becomes so relevant. Here, we exploit the potential of mass spectrometry technology combined with machine learning algorithms, for the detection of COVID-19 positive and negative protein profiles directly from nasopharyngeal swabs samples. According to the preliminary results obtained, accuracy = 67.66 %, sensitivity = 61.76 %, specificity = 71.72 %, and although these parameters still need to be improved to be used as a screening technique, mass spectrometry-based methods coupled with multivariate analysis showed that it is an interesting tool that deserves to be explored as a complementary diagnostic approach due to the low cost and fast performance. However, further steps, such as the analysis of a large number of samples, should be taken in consideration to determine the applicability of the method developed.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, mass spectrometry, machine learning, MALDI-TOF, 【초록키워드】 Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, feasibility, diagnostic, Diagnosis, SARS-CoV-2 virus, RT-PCR, Nasopharyngeal swab, Protein, outbreak, implementation, molecular, Critical, Analysis, real time, complementary, Machine learning algorithms, acute respiratory syndrome, profile, applicability, positive, parameter, researcher, approach, caused, determine, diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2 virus, Nasopharyngeal swab, Analysis, approach,