Sweat-prints of COVID-19: unique metabolite signatures.

Publication date: Dec 14, 2025

The study of human sweat and its metabolite profile can reveal important metabolic processes. Metabolites produced during respiratory infections, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), create unique odor signatures. This study aims to identify a distinct signature of SARS-CoV-2 infection through the analysis of sweat metabolites. Sweat samples were collected from the axillae of individuals during the Delta and Omicron pandemic waves. Samples represent symptomatic (ventilator; n = 49), asymptomatic (home quarantine; n = 46) patients, and healthy individuals (n = 50) from Pune district, Maharashtra. Sweat metabolites were extracted under acidic conditions and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with the NIST library and a hit threshold of 80%. The identified compounds were assessed for their origins and metabolic roles. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed distinct clustering of the groups. We report six compounds-6-ethyl-2-methyl decane, tetradecane, styrene, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2-methyl heptane, and 1-ethoxy pentane-specifically in infected individuals. Alkanes and their derivatives were significantly abundant in the symptomatic cohort and linked to inflammatory lung conditions as compared to healthy controls, thus affirming the presence of a distinct sweat metabolite profile in SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic individuals.

Semantics

Original Article