Comparing plasma and skin imprint metabolic profiles in COVID-19 diagnosis and severity assessment.

As SARS-CoV-2 continues to produce new variants, the demand for diagnostics and a better understanding of COVID-19 remain key topics in healthcare. Skin manifestations have been widely reported in cases of COVID-19, but the mechanisms and markers of these symptoms are poorly described. In this cross-sectional study, 101 patients (64 COVID-19 positive patients and 37 controls) were enrolled between April and June 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19, in São Paulo, Brazil. Enrolled patients had skin imprints sampled non-invasively using silica plates; plasma samples were also collected. Samples were used for untargeted lipidomics/metabolomics through high-resolution mass spectrometry. We identified 558 molecular ions, with lipids comprising most of them. We found 245 plasma ions that were significant for COVID-19 diagnosis, compared to 61 from the skin imprints. Plasma samples outperformed skin imprints in distinguishing patients with COVID-19 from controls, with F1-scores of 91.9% and 84.3%, respectively. Skin imprints were excellent for assessing disease severity, exhibiting an F1-score of 93.5% when discriminating between patient hospitalization and home care statuses. Specifically, oleamide and linoleamide were the most discriminative biomarkers for identifying hospitalized patients through skin imprinting, and palmitic amides and N-acylethanolamine 18:0 were also identified as significant biomarkers. These observations underscore the importance of primary fatty acid amides and N-acylethanolamines in immunomodulatory processes and metabolic disorders. These findings confirm the potential utility of skin imprinting as a valuable non-invasive sampling method for COVID-19 screening; a method that may also be applied in the evaluation of other medical conditions. KEY MESSAGES: Skin imprints complement plasma in disease metabolomics. The annotated markers have a role in immunomodulation and metabolic diseases. Skin imprints outperformed plasma samples at assessing disease severity. Skin imprints have potential as non-invasive sampling strategy for COVID-19.

Covid-19 Automated Diagnosis and Risk Assessment through Metabolomics and Machine Learning.

COVID-19 is still placing a heavy health and financial burden worldwide. Impairment in patient screening and risk management plays a fundamental role on how governments and authorities are directing resources, planning reopening, as well as sanitary countermeasures, especially in regions where poverty is a major component in the equation. An efficient diagnostic method must be highly accurate, while having a cost-effective profile. We combined a machine learning-based algorithm with mass spectrometry to create an expeditious platform that discriminate COVID-19 in plasma samples within minutes, while also providing tools for risk assessment, to assist healthcare professionals in patient management and decision-making. A cross-sectional study enrolled 815 patients (442 COVID-19, 350 controls and 23 COVID-19 suspicious) from three Brazilian epicenters from April to July 2020. We were able to elect and identify 19 molecules related to the disease's pathophysiology and several discriminating features to patient's health-related outcomes. The method applied for COVID-19 diagnosis showed specificity >96% and sensitivity >83%, and specificity >80% and sensitivity >85% during risk assessment, both from blinded data. Our method introduced a new approach for COVID-19 screening, providing the indirect detection of infection through metabolites and contextualizing the findings with the disease's pathophysiology. The pairwise analysis of biomarkers brought robustness to the model developed using machine learning algorithms, transforming this screening approach in a tool with great potential for real-world application.

A influência do plano de saúde na evolução a longo prazo de pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio / The influence of health insurance plans on the long term outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction

FUNDAMENTO: Pouco se sabe, principalmente em nosso meio, sobre a influência dos planos de saúde na evolução a longo prazo pós-infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM). OBJETIVO: Avaliar a evolução de pacientes com IAM usuários do SUS ou de outros convênios. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 1588 pacientes com IAM (idade média de 63,3 ± 12,9 anos, 71,7 por cento homens), incluídos de forma prospectiva em banco de dados específico, e seguidos por até 7,55 anos. Deste total, 1003 foram alocados no "grupo SUS" e 585 no "outros convênios". Qui-quadrado, log-rank e Cox ("stepwise") foram aplicados nas diferentes análises estatísticas. O modelo multivariado a longo prazo, com mortalidade como variável dependente, incluiu 18 variáveis independentes. RESULTADOS: As mortalidades hospitalares nos grupos "outros convênios" e "SUS" foram de 11,4 por cento e 10,3 por cento, respectivamente (P=0,5); a longo prazo, as chances de sobrevivência nos grupos foram, respectivamente, de 70,4 por cento ± 2,9 e 56,4 por cento ± 4,0 (P=0,001, "hazard-ratio"=1,43, ou 43 por cento a mais de chance de óbito no grupo "SUS"). No modelo ajustado, o grupo "SUS" permaneceu com probabilidade significativamente maior de óbito (36 por cento a mais de chance, P=0,005), demonstrando-se ainda que cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica e angioplastia melhoraram o prognóstico dos pacientes, ao passo que idade e história de infarto prévio, diabete ou insuficiência cardíaca, pioraram o prognóstico dos mesmos. CONCLUSÃO: Em relação a usuários de outros convênios, o usuário SUS apresenta mortalidade similar durante a fase hospitalar, porém tem pior prognóstico a longo prazo, reforçando a necessidade de esforços adicionais no sentido de melhorar o nível de atendimento destes pacientes após a alta hospitalar.

BACKGROUND: Little is known, especially in our country, about the influence of health insurance plans on the long term outcome of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of patients with AMI who are covered by the National Health System (SUS) or other health insurance plans. METHODS: We analyzed 1,588 patients with AMI (mean age of 63.3 + 12.9 years, 71.7 percent male) who were included prospectively into a specific database and followed up for up to 7.55 years. Of this total, 1,003 were placed in the "SUS" group and 585 in the "other insurance plans" group. We applied chi-square, log-rank and Cox (stepwise) to the different statistical analyses. The long term multivariate model with mortality as a dependent variable included 18 independent variables. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality rates in the "other insurance plans" and "SUS" groups were 11.4 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively (p = 0.5); in the long term, survival chances in the groups were respectively, 70.4 percent + 2.9 and 56.4 percent + 4.0 (p = 0.001, hazard-ratio = 1.43, or a 43 percent higher chance of death in the "SUS" group). In the adjusted model, the "SUS" group had a significantly higher chance of death (a 36 percent higher chance, p = 0.005). Surgical revascularization and angioplasty improved the prognosis of these patients, whereas age and previous history of infarction, diabetes or heart failure worsened the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Relative to patients with other insurance plans, SUS users present similar mortality rates during hospital stay, but their prognosis is worse in the long term, thus reinforcing the need for additional efforts to improve the care provided to these patients after hospital discharge.

The influence of health insurance plans on the long term outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Little is known, especially in our country, about the influence of health insurance plans on the long term outcome of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of patients with AMI who are covered by the National Health System (SUS) or other health insurance plans. METHODS: We analyzed 1,588 patients with AMI (mean age of 63.3 + 12.9 years, 71.7% male) who were included prospectively into a specific database and followed up for up to 7.55 years. Of this total, 1,003 were placed in the "SUS" group and 585 in the "other insurance plans" group. We applied chi-square, log-rank and Cox (stepwise) to the different statistical analyses. The long term multivariate model with mortality as a dependent variable included 18 independent variables. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality rates in the "other insurance plans" and "SUS" groups were 11.4% and 10.3%, respectively (p = 0.5); in the long term, survival chances in the groups were respectively, 70.4% + 2.9 and 56.4% + 4.0 (p = 0.001, hazard-ratio = 1.43, or a 43% higher chance of death in the "SUS" group). In the adjusted model, the 'SUS' group had a significantly higher chance of death (a 36% higher chance, p = 0.005). Surgical revascularization and angioplasty improved the prognosis of these patients, whereas age and previous history of infarction, diabetes or heart failure worsened the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Relative to patients with other insurance plans, SUS users present similar mortality rates during hospital stay, but their prognosis is worse in the long term, thus reinforcing the need for additional efforts to improve the care provided to these patients after hospital discharge.

Avaliação da extensão transmural do infarto agudo do miocárdio pela ecocardiografia com perfusao miocárdica em tempo real. Comparação com a ressonância magnética / Assessment of trasmural extent of acute myocardial infarction by real time myocardial contrast echocardiography a comparison with magnetic resonance imaging

Introdução: A Ecocardiografia com contraste em tempo real(EPTR) e a ressonância magnética (RM) podem identificar a necrose miocárdica após infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM). Entretanto, a correlação da EPTR com extensão transmural após o infarto é desconhecida. Objetivo: Determinar a extensão transmural do IAM pela EPTR em comparação com a RM. Métodos: A EPTR e a RM foram realizados em 20 pacientes com IAM do 2 ao 5 dia após a recanalização mecânica ou farmacológica. A análise ecocardiografica foi feita por uma análise qualitativa (visual) denominada escala de cinza (EC) e por uma análise qantitativa, chamada imagem paramétrica (IP). A extensão transmural do infarto em cada seguimento pela escala de cinza, apresentou uma correlação menor (r igual 0,77) em relação à imagem paramétrica (r igual 0,93). Conclusão: A ecocardiografia com contraste reflete a extensão transmural do IAM tanto quanto a RM.