Mehta, Ravi;
Chekmeneva, Elena;
Ascough, Stephanie;
Wagstaffe, Helen;
Papargyris, Loukas;
Gibani, Malick;
Yuen, Ada HY;
... Sriskandan, Shiranee; + view all
(2025)
Longitudinal kinetics of the viral infection biomarker 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydro-cytidine in SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus and RSV human challenge models.
npj Viruses
, 3
, Article 50. 10.1038/s44298-025-00132-x.
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Longitudinal kinetics of the viral infection biomarker 3-deoxy-3,4-didehydro-cytidine in SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus and R.pdf - Accepted Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
3’-deoxy-3’,4’-didehydro-cytidine (ddhC) is a recently discovered host biomarker for viral infections, though its temporal kinetics remain unclear. This study tests the hypothesis that ddhC is an acute phase reactant, rising shortly after viral infection and subsequently falling to baseline. We leveraged the precise monitoring facilitated by human challenge studies to investigate healthy participants inoculated with SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus (H3N2), or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Using targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we quantified ddhC concentrations in serial plasma samples collected pre- and post-inoculation. In SARS-CoV-2 and H3N2 influenza A virus infection, but not RSV, ddhC levels peaked at 3–7 days post inoculation and declined to baseline by days 10–14. This pattern was also observed in asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic participants. A comparison of ddhC concentrations with matched timepoint whole blood gene expression revealed a correlation with interferon-related genes, including viperin and CMPK2—enzymes implicated in its upstream biosynthesis. Our results suggest that ddhC is a biomarker of the acute phase of viral infection, with potential to guide early interventions that reduce antimicrobial resistance and strengthen pandemic preparedness. Future work should explore ddhC dynamics in natural and experimental infections across varying severities and assess its utility in diverse populations and healthcare settings.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Longitudinal kinetics of the viral infection biomarker 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-didehydro-cytidine in SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus and RSV human challenge models |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s44298-025-00132-x |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-025-00132-x |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Infection and Immunity |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215388 |
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