Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection alters cellular RNA content. Cellular RNAs are chemically modified and eventually degraded, depositing modified nucleosides into extracellular fluids such as serum and urine. Here we searched for COVID-19-specific changes in modified nucleoside levels contained in serum and urine of 308 COVID-19 patients using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We found that two modified nucleosides, N 6 -threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t 6 A) and 2-methylthio- N 6 -threonylcarbamoyladenosine (ms 2 t 6 A), were elevated in serum and urine of COVID-19 patients. Moreover, these levels were associated with symptom severity and decreased upon recovery from COVID-19. In addition, the elevation of similarly modified nucleosides was observed regardless of COVID-19 variants. These findings illuminate specific modified RNA nucleosides in the extracellular fluids as biomarkers for COVID-19 infection and severity.
Keywords: COVID-19; LC-MS; modified nucleosides.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, LC-MS, modified nucleosides., 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Biomarker, severity, Infection, variants, RNA, serum, COVID-19 infection, Urine, COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patient, nucleoside, symptom severity, nucleosides, Alter, Extracellular, cellular RNA, addition, elevated, searched, changes in, 【제목키워드】 candidate, nucleoside, Strong,