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Kynurenic acid may underlie sex-specific immune responses to COVID-19.

Science signaling | 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has poorer clinical outcomes in males than in females, and immune responses underlie these sex-related differences. Because immune responses are, in part, regulated by metabolites, we examined the serum metabolomes of COVID-19 patients. In male patients, kynurenic acid (KA) and a high KA-to-kynurenine (K) ratio (KA:K) positively correlated with age and with inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and negatively correlated with T cell responses. Males that clinically deteriorated had a higher KA:K than those that stabilized. KA inhibits glutamate release, and glutamate abundance was lower in patients that clinically deteriorated and correlated with immune responses. Analysis of data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project revealed that the expression of the gene encoding the enzyme that produces KA, kynurenine aminotransferase, correlated with cytokine abundance and activation of immune responses in older males. This study reveals that KA has a sex-specific link to immune responses and clinical outcomes in COVID-19, suggesting a positive feedback between metabolites and immune responses in males.

Pubmed ID: 34230210 RIS Download

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Associated grants

  • Agency: BLRD VA, United States
    Id: I01 BX004661
  • Agency: NIGMS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: T32 GM007205
  • Agency: NIAID NIH HHS, United States
    Id: U19 AI089992
  • Agency: NCATS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: UL1 TR001863
  • Agency: NIGMS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: T32 GM136651
  • Agency: NCI NIH HHS, United States
    Id: F30 CA236466
  • Agency: NIH HHS, United States
    Id: U19 AI08992

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