Plasma Lipidomic and Metabolomic Profiling after Birth in Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-19 Infected and Non-Infected Mothers at Delivery: Preliminary Results

Abstract

Pregnant women are among the high-risk populations for COVID-19, whereas the risk of vertical transmission to the fetus is very low. Nevertheless, metabolic alternations described in COVID-19 patients may also occur in pregnant women and their offspring. We prospectively evaluated the plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profiles, soon after birth, in neonates born to infected mothers (cases, n = 10) and in the offspring of uninfected ones at delivery (controls, n = 10). All cases had two negative tests for SARS-CoV-2 (nasopharyngeal swabs) performed 72 h apart. Blood samples were obtained within the first hours after birth. Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TOF/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were applied for the analyses. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed for data evaluation. Changes in several plasma lipid species-classes (long-chain fatty acids phosphatidylcholines, triglycerides), and amino-acids were identified that allowed for clear discrimination between the study groups. The results of this preliminary investigation suggest that neonates born to Sars-Cov-19 positive mothers, without evidence of viral infection at birth, have a distinct plasma lipidomic and metabolomic profile compared to those of uninfected mothers. Whether these findings are reflective of maternal metabolic alternations due to the virus or a metabolic response following an unidentified neonatal infection warrants further investigation.

Pharmacometabolomics Profiling of Preterm Infants Validates Patterns of Metabolism Associated With Response to Dexamethasone Treatment for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

“…Since the publication of our previous study, several additional articles have been published on the relationship between metabolic activity with BPD and its comorbidities, as referenced previously. Metabolomics have been used to investigate several other disease states relevant to the neonatal patient population as well (20)(21)(22)(23)(24). Our findings contribute to this growing exploration of the link between metabolism and variable treatment response in neonates as well as strengthen several of the findings we have published previously.…”

The Urinary Metabolome of Newborns with Perinatal Complications

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating urinary metabolites in newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during intrauterine life. A few metabolomics studies have been conducted that examined cord blood [ 84 ] and plasma [ 85 ]. A study involving cord blood plasma samples from 23 mild COVID-19 cases (mother infected/newborn negative) and 23 gestational age-matched controls found significant differences in the concentration of 19 metabolites between the groups ( p -value < 0.05).…”

Metabolomics as a powerful tool for diagnostic, pronostic and drug intervention analysis in COVID-19

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