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Potential Biomarkers of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated with COVID-19 Infection

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Application of Omic Techniques to Identify New Biomarkers and Drug Targets for COVID-19

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((PMISB,volume 1412))

Abstract

Mitochondria play crucial roles in modulating immune responses, and viruses can in turn moderate mitochondrial functioning. Therefore, it is not judicious to assume that clinical outcome experienced in patients with COVID-19 or long COVID may be influenced by mitochondrial dysfunction in this infection. Also, patients who are predisposed to mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) disorders may be more susceptible to worsened clinical outcome associated with COVID-19 infection and long COVID. MRC disorders and dysfunction require a multidisciplinary approach for their diagnosis of which blood and urinary metabolite analysis may be utilized, including the measurement of lactate, organic acid and amino acid levels. More recently, hormone-like cytokines including fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) have also been used to assess possible evidence of MRC dysfunction. In view of their association with MRC dysfunction, assessing evidence of oxidative stress parameters including GSH and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) status may also provide useful biomarkers for diagnosis of MRC dysfunction. To date, the most reliable biomarker available for assessing MRC dysfunction is the spectrophotometric determination of MRC enzyme activities in skeletal muscle or tissue from the disease-presenting organ. Moreover, the combined use of these biomarkers in a multiplexed targeted metabolic profiling strategy may further improve the diagnostic yield of the individual tests for assessing evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in patients pre- and post-COVID-19 infection.

Nadia Turton and Lauren Millichap are joint first authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

    Nadia Turton & Iain P. Hargreaves

  2. Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy

    Lauren Millichap

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  1. Nadia Turton
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  2. Lauren Millichap
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  3. Iain P. Hargreaves
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Correspondence to Iain P. Hargreaves .

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  1. University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Paul C. Guest

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Turton, N., Millichap, L., Hargreaves, I.P. (2023). Potential Biomarkers of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated with COVID-19 Infection. In: Guest , P.C. (eds) Application of Omic Techniques to Identify New Biomarkers and Drug Targets for COVID-19. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1412. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28012-2_11

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