Studying blood plasma samples from COVID-19 patients, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified specific proteins that may help predict which patients may need to be placed on ventilators to breathe and which are most likely to die of the virus.
The results were published March 14 in the journal iScience.
Cruchaga, also the Barbara Burton and Reuben M. Morriss III Professor of Psychiatry, studied plasma samples from 332 COVID-19 patients admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and compared them to plasma samples from 150 people who had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Because the samples were obtained as patients were being admitted to the hospital, the proteins linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes were identified long before any patients actually were placed on ventilators or died from the virus.
To study the proteins in the blood plasma, the researchers used a technique called high-throughput proteomics to identify overexpression and underexpression—also known as dysregulation—of the proteins. The scientists conducted additional testing to distinguish which of the proteins actually caused severe illness from those that became dysregulated as a result of severe illness.
Although the research team identified a large number of proteins that were altered in patients with COVID-19, they determined that the presence of any of 32 proteins that become dysregulated during COVID infection indicated that patients would require breathing assistance from a ventilator. They identified another five proteins that, when found to be altered in blood plasma as a result of the virus, indicated likelihood of death for the patient.
“Many of the proteins we identified were related to inflammation and to the body’s immune response, for example, so it wasn’t surprising to find them altered by COVID infection,” Cruchaga said. “But a subset of these proteins raised the likelihood that patients would need ventilation or go on to die. Using these proteomics approaches, we now have a methodology that allows us to predict problems, and that can be very important for clinical practice.”
To further test their findings, the researchers studied similar proteomics data from 297 COVID-19 patients and 76 controls at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and found that the same proteins indicated the eventual need for ventilators and the likelihood of death in both groups of patients.
The study involved blood plasma from patients hospitalized during the initial surge of patients with COVID-19, so it’s not clear whether precisely the same proteins would lead to ventilation and death from infection with later variants of the virus, Cruchaga said. However, the same approach of using high-throughput proteomics likely could be used to validate or identify suspect proteins in other variants, he said. The strategy may even be useful with completely different viruses, he added.
The research also showed that some of the proteins that were dysregulated during COVID-19 infection were linked to coronary artery disease and Alzheimer’s disease pathways, confirming that COVID-19 can increase the risk for these disorders.
“That was a surprising finding, because this project was not focused on those issues,” Cruchaga said. “Some of the proteins we identified are causal proteins in Alzheimer’s pathology, and others are used as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, both in the blood and in the cerebrospinal fluid. COVID infection altered the levels of those biomarkers to the point where if someone was to go to the clinic for a blood test, the neurologist might even diagnose that patient as having Alzheimer’s disease, when in fact what the blood test is revealing is that the patient recently had COVID-19.
“This is a good example of how high-throughput approaches are going to help us understand that COVID is not only a disease affecting the lungs but one that also affects the brain and the heart.”
Cruchaga added that this study provides a biological basis for understanding some of the symptoms associated with long COVID-19. And he said it’s possible that studying these proteins in blood plasma potentially could identify people at high risk for developing such symptoms after COVID infection.
“Although fewer people are dying from COVID-19 these days, its impact on memory in people who are cognitively normal and on disease progression in people who already have cognitive problems is of concern,” he said.

News
Does Space-Time Really Exist?
Is time something that flows — or just an illusion? Exploring space-time as either a fixed “block universe” or a dynamic fabric reveals deeper mysteries about existence, change, and the very nature of reality. [...]
Unlocking hidden soil microbes for new antibiotics
Most bacteria cannot be cultured in the lab-and that's been bad news for medicine. Many of our frontline antibiotics originated from microbes, yet as antibiotic resistance spreads and drug pipelines run dry, the soil [...]
By working together, cells can extend their senses beyond their direct environment
The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive young royal woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to [...]
Overworked Brain Cells May Hold the Key to Parkinson’s
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes uncovered a surprising reason why dopamine-producing neurons, crucial for smooth body movements, die in Parkinson’s disease. In mice, when these neurons were kept overactive for weeks, they began to falter, [...]
Old tires find new life: Rubber particles strengthen superhydrophobic coatings against corrosion
Development of highly robust superhydrophobic anti-corrosion coating using recycled tire rubber particles. Superhydrophobic materials offer a strategy for developing marine anti-corrosion materials due to their low solid-liquid contact area and low surface energy. However, [...]
This implant could soon allow you to read minds
Mind reading: Long a science fiction fantasy, today an increasingly concrete scientific goal. Researchers at Stanford University have succeeded in decoding internal language in real time thanks to a brain implant and artificial intelligence. [...]
A New Weapon Against Cancer: Cold Plasma Destroys Hidden Tumor Cells
Cold plasma penetrates deep into tumors and attacks cancer cells. Short-lived molecules were identified as key drivers. Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), working with colleagues from Greifswald University Hospital and [...]
This Common Sleep Aid May Also Protect Your Brain From Alzheimer’s
Lemborexant and similar sleep medications show potential for treating tau-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that a commonly used sleep medication can restore normal sleep patterns and [...]
Sugar-Coated Nanoparticles Boost Cancer Drug Efficacy
A team of researchers at the University of Mississippi has discovered that coating cancer treatment carrying nanoparticles in a sugar-like material increases their treatment efficacy. They reported their findings in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Over a tenth of breast [...]
Nanoparticle-Based Vaccine Shows Promise in Fighting Cancer
In a study published in OncoImmunology, researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University have created a therapeutic vaccine that mobilizes the immune system to target cancer cells. The researchers demonstrated that virus peptides combined [...]
Quantitative imaging method reveals how cells rapidly sort and transport lipids
Lipids are difficult to detect with light microscopy. Using a new chemical labeling strategy, a Dresden-based team led by André Nadler at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and [...]
Ancient DNA reveals cause of world’s first recorded pandemic
Scientists have confirmed that the Justinian Plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic, was caused by Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium behind the Black Death. Dating back some 1,500 years and long described in historical texts but [...]
“AI Is Not Intelligent at All” – Expert Warns of Worldwide Threat to Human Dignity
Opaque AI systems risk undermining human rights and dignity. Global cooperation is needed to ensure protection. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed how people interact, but it also poses a global risk to human [...]
Nanomotors: Where Are They Now?
First introduced in 2004, nanomotors have steadily advanced from a scientific curiosity to a practical technology with wide-ranging applications. This article explores the key developments, recent innovations, and major uses of nanomotors today. A [...]
Study Finds 95% of Tested Beers Contain Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
Researchers found PFAS in 95% of tested beers, with the highest levels linked to contaminated local water sources. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as forever chemicals, are gaining notoriety for their ability [...]
Long COVID Symptoms Are Closer To A Stroke Or Parkinson’s Disease Than Fatigue
When most people get sick with COVID-19 today, they think of it as a brief illness, similar to a cold. However, for a large number of people, the illness doesn't end there. The World [...]