SARS-CoV-2 virus seems to induce O-glycosylation and other metabolic dysfunctions which might predispose new-onset diabetes

COVID-2019 pandemic has caused huge damage to human health, and some individuals are more prone to severe manifestations, such as type-2 diabetic patients. The correlation between diabetes and severe manifestations have been under investigation, and molecular findings may highlight some pathophysiological pathways. The present study aimed to identify plasma metabolites in patients affected by type-2 diabetes and COVID-19, concomitantly, using an untargeted metabolomic approach. We employed high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis to annotate 10 metabolites, with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine among them; it is involved with O-glycosylation, which is enhanced in diabetic conditions. SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins depend on glycosylation, what seems to be overstimulated upon infection. Interestingly, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine was found in part of the non-diabetic COVID-19 patients, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 might induce new-onset diabetes through glycosylation. Besides, the identified biomarkers seem to be all interconnected and represent a global perception of metabolic alterations in a Diabetic-COVID-19 scenario, highlighting new targets for further pharmacological interventions.