Even though Omicron often causes milder illness, it leaves a clear metabolic footprint disrupting liver, immune, and energy metabolism.
A new study shows that even 2-4 weeks after recovery, the body does not return to normal metabolic state🧵
A new study shows that even 2-4 weeks after recovery, the body does not return to normal metabolic state🧵
https://twitter.com/harryspoelstra/status/1980596711509688540
Researchers analyzed blood serum from 300 Omicron patients, 200 recovered, and 380 healthy controls.
Using LC-MS metabolomics, they tracked hundreds of molecules revealing how the infection affects the liver, mitochondria, and immune system.
Using LC-MS metabolomics, they tracked hundreds of molecules revealing how the infection affects the liver, mitochondria, and immune system.
Over 100 metabolites were significantly altered during infection - that’s expected in any acute illness.
What’s not expected?
Most of these changes did not return to normal even after clinical recovery.
What’s not expected?
Most of these changes did not return to normal even after clinical recovery.
Persistent changes were seen in key metabolic hubs
the urea cycle (detox in the liver),
antioxidant defense,
amino acid metabolism (glycine, serine, lysine),
and mitochondrial energy pathways.
Even recovered individuals showed a biochemical state of inflammation and low energy.
the urea cycle (detox in the liver),
antioxidant defense,
amino acid metabolism (glycine, serine, lysine),
and mitochondrial energy pathways.
Even recovered individuals showed a biochemical state of inflammation and low energy.
According to the authors:
DL-stachydrine, D-pipecolinic acid, furazolidone, L-arginine and 5α-dihydrotestosterone glucuronide were elevated, while prenylcysteine was decreased in Omicron patients.
L-arginine rise = impaired urea cycle - liver stress.
Prenylcysteine drop = oxidative imbalance - atherosclerosis risk.
Even mild Omicron leaves biochemical traces in liver and vessels.
DL-stachydrine, D-pipecolinic acid, furazolidone, L-arginine and 5α-dihydrotestosterone glucuronide were elevated, while prenylcysteine was decreased in Omicron patients.
L-arginine rise = impaired urea cycle - liver stress.
Prenylcysteine drop = oxidative imbalance - atherosclerosis risk.
Even mild Omicron leaves biochemical traces in liver and vessels.
Most affected metabolites included
↑ L-arginine - overloaded liver detox.
↓ Prenylcysteine - oxidative stress, vascular risk.
↓ Spermidine/spermine - impaired cellular repair.
↑ Pipecolinic acid - ongoing immune activation.
↑ L-arginine - overloaded liver detox.
↓ Prenylcysteine - oxidative stress, vascular risk.
↓ Spermidine/spermine - impaired cellular repair.
↑ Pipecolinic acid - ongoing immune activation.
Some metabolites showed no sign of recovery at all.
Not even trending toward normal.
Examples
L-arginine, DL-stachydrin, D-pipecolinic acid, prenylcysteine, spermidine, and porphyrin intermediates.
The body remains locked in a post-infection metabolic state, weeks after the virus is gone.
Not even trending toward normal.
Examples
L-arginine, DL-stachydrin, D-pipecolinic acid, prenylcysteine, spermidine, and porphyrin intermediates.
The body remains locked in a post-infection metabolic state, weeks after the virus is gone.
These molecules aren’t random - they map to core systems - liver, immunity, mitochondria, oxidation, regeneration.
The common pattern is stagnation.
Instead of rebalancing, the body stays in a biochemical stress mode long after infection.
Unlike flu, where metabolism typically normalizes within 1-2 weeks.
The common pattern is stagnation.
Instead of rebalancing, the body stays in a biochemical stress mode long after infection.
Unlike flu, where metabolism typically normalizes within 1-2 weeks.
The team also built a non-invasive diagnostic model using 6 metabolites with a striking 99.7% accuracy in the validation cohort.
This metabolic stagnation signature mirrors what other studies have found in long COVID
ongoing mitochondrial & liver stress,
low antioxidant capacity,
poor cellular recovery.
Biochemically, it looks like the body remains stuck in post-infection mode, even when the virus is gone.
ongoing mitochondrial & liver stress,
low antioxidant capacity,
poor cellular recovery.
Biochemically, it looks like the body remains stuck in post-infection mode, even when the virus is gone.
In SARS-CoV-2 including Omicron we see an abnormal flat or even reverse trend
metabolic pathways don’t recover, they stay trapped in a low-energy, oxidatively stressed state.
That’s the biochemical groundwork for prolonged recovery and long COVID.
metabolic pathways don’t recover, they stay trapped in a low-energy, oxidatively stressed state.
That’s the biochemical groundwork for prolonged recovery and long COVID.
Sum:
Omicron may be mild clinically, but not biologically.
Even after symptoms resolve, the body remains metabolically out of tune -
showing signs of liver, immune, and mitochondrial stress.
Omicron may be mild clinically, but not biologically.
Even after symptoms resolve, the body remains metabolically out of tune -
showing signs of liver, immune, and mitochondrial stress.
Gao at al., Alterations in the serum metabolome in patients with the COVID-19 Omicron variant and in recovered cases. journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
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