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Article

Nasopharyngeal Proteomic Profiles from Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

by
Cláudia P. M. Araújo
1,
Carolina M. Vieira
1,
Ketlen C. Ohse
1,
Alessandra S. Silva
1,
Sofia A. Cavalcante
1,
Felipe G. Naveca
1,
Fernanda N. Oliveira
1,
James L. Crainey
1,
Marcus V. G. Lacerda
1,2,3,
Gisely C. Melo
3,
Vanderson S. Sampaio
4,
Michel Batista
5,
Amanda C. Camillo-Andrade
6,
Marlon D. M. Santos
6,7,
Diogo B. Lima
8,
Juliana de S. G. Fischer
6,9,
Paulo C. Carvalho
6,9 and
Priscila F. Aquino
1,*
1
Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Fiocruz-Amazônia, Manaus 69057-070, Brazil
2
Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus 69040-000, Brazil
3
Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus 69065-001, Brazil
4
Instituto Todos pela Saúde, São Paulo 01310-942, Brazil
5
Mass Spectrometry Platform-RPT02H, Instituto Carlos Chagas (Fiocruz-Paraná), Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
6
Laboratory for Structural and Computational Proteomics, Instituto Carlos Chagas (Fiocruz-Paraná), Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
7
Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Unit, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (Institut Pasteur de Montevideo), Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
8
Departament of Chemical Biology, Forchungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
9
Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR), University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
COVID 2025, 5(11), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110192
Submission received: 23 September 2025 / Revised: 19 October 2025 / Accepted: 25 October 2025 / Published: 18 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Host Genetics and Susceptibility/Resistance)

Abstract

This study investigated proteomic differences in nasopharyngeal swabs of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients from Manaus (Brazil) who were hospitalized during the devastating first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the emergence of the deadly P1 SARS-CoV-2 strain. LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis compared 16 matched COVID-19 patient profiles: eight survivors and eight fatalities. A total of 1604 proteins were identified in fatality swabs, and 981 in the swabs of survivors. Our study provides new insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying first-wave COVID-19 deaths from Manaus and identifies hypoxia-related HYOU1, endothelial injury-associated S100A10, and some viral replication proteins (DDX1/17, XPO1) as potential biomarkers of fatal infections. The proteomic profiles of the swabs taken from patients that died collectively suggest that many of the first wave COVID-19 fatalities in Manaus suffered immune-system collapse. Survivor patient swabs showed elevated levels of immune defense proteins (FN1, C4BPA, IGKV1-5), indicating effective antiviral responses. Gene ontology analysis revealed dysregulated secretory pathways in fatalities and did not detect the defense-response pathways in fatality-group datasets that were observed in survivor protein datasets. Interestingly, the NOS2 protein, previously associated with first-wave fatalities, was found exclusively in our fatality swabs.

1. Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in over seven million deaths worldwide [1]. While most infections are mild or asymptomatic, a subset of patients develops severe disease, progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure, and death [2]. The factors determining disease severity remain incompletely understood, though host immune responses, viral load dynamics, and pre-existing comorbidities are known to play critical roles [3]. The first wave of COVID-19 in Manaus, Brazil, was among the most devastating outbreaks to occur during the pandemic. An overwhelming surge in COVID-19 cases during this period led to overcrowded emergency rooms and the rapid construction of mass graves, which attracted international attention [4].
Proteomic profiling of respiratory samples offers a powerful approach to understanding host–pathogen interactions in COVID-19. Some previous studies have analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and nasopharyngeal swabs to identify proteins associated with disease severity [5,6,7]. However, most proteomic investigations have focused on blood, plasma or lower respiratory tract samples, which provide only a systemic picture of immune response and do not provide a clear picture of the host–parasite interactions at the primary site of initial viral replication [8]. Given that the nasal mucosa serves as the first line of defense against respiratory pathogens, its proteomic signature may hold critical clues to early immune responses and viral evasion mechanisms.
This study employed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze nasopharyngeal swabs from 16 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients in Manaus and compared the profiles of individuals who survived their infections with those who died. Our findings reveal stark contrasts between the two groups, provide mechanistic insights into COVID-19 severity, and suggest potential biomarkers for clinical risk assessment. Moreover, our study contributes to the growing body of proteomic data from respiratory infections, offering a foundation for future therapeutic strategies.

2. Methods

2.1. Patient Profiles and Sample Collection

Samples used for this study came from the biorepository at Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane (ILMD/Fiocruz Amazônia), one of the designated laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in Amazonas and a member of the Fiocruz COVID-19 Genomics Surveillance Network. Our study used only a limited number of patient samples. A total of 16 nasal swabs were analyzed and categorized into two patient groups, referred to hereafter as “survivor” and “fatality” groups. The survivor group consisted of swabs from eight SARS-CoV-2-positive patients who survived their infections, four of whom had comorbidities and four of whom did not have comorbidities. The fatality group consisted of eight swabs from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, four of whom had comorbidities, and four of whom did not have comorbidities. An equal number of male and female patients were selected for both the survivor and fatality groups; the mean age of the survivor group was 58.3, and the mean age of the mortality group was 48.2 (the difference between the two age groups not being statistically significant [p = 0.146; Welch’s t-test]). Further details of the patients’ sociodemographic characteristics are provided in Supplementary Table S1. Supplementary Figure S1 provides details of key patient blood biochemical markers, including hemoglobin, leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, hematocrit, platelet count, creatinine, and urea that were taken when the patients were admitted to the hospital. Mann–Whitney tests were used to detect significant differences in these biochemical markers between our two study groups. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from hospitalized Manaus residents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR between 29 April and 21 December 2020.

2.2. Nasal Swab Sample Preparation, LC-MS-MS Processing and Analysis

All 16 nasopharyngeal swab samples were individually immersed in 250 µL of a stock solution containing a viral transport medium before being inactivated at 65 °C for 40 min. Subsequently, the samples were lyophilized, and the proteins were extracted in 150 µL of RapiGest SF (Waters Corp., Milford, MA, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions [9]. Details of this and of how the Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) was performed are provided in Supplementary Material File S1. Details of how the spectra generated from the LC-MS-MS workflow were analyzed are provided in Supplementary Material File S2.

3. Results

3.1. Biochemical Blood Markers of Patients Hospitalized

Patients who survived exhibited higher blood counts of lymphocytes and higher levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit, although these differences were not statistically significant (Supplementary Figure S1). Conversely, patients who succumbed to the disease presented slightly elevated neutrophil counts, platelet levels, and creatinine concentrations compared to those who survived. Only the leukocyte count (103/µL) and urea levels, however, showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.038 for both). For the other blood markers, no significant differences were observed between the two study groups in our study.

3.2. General Proteomic Profile of Nasopharyngeal Smear Samples

PatternLab for Proteomics V software (version 5.0.0.198) analysis of our data identified, with high confidence (FDR < 1%), an average of 10,876 peptides and 1604 proteins from the fatality group patients’ tandem mass spectrometry spectra files, and an average of 6580 peptides and 981 proteins in the survivor group spectra. Secondary COVID-19 survivor analysis focused only on proteins that were detected in ≥50% of patient swab samples: 549 proteins from the fatality and 421 proteins from the survivor patient group. A comprehensive list of these proteins is provided in Supplementary Tables S2 and S3. Figure 1 shows a Venn diagram illustrating the overlap between the proteomic profiles obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs of both groups. The analysis did not identify any proteins that were unique to the survivor group; however, it did identify 128 proteins that were exclusively present in the fatality group and are thus of special interest as potential biomarkers for severe outcomes (Table 1). The analysis, therefore, also found a core set of 421 proteins associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections that were shared between both groups and are highlighted in Figure 1.
When the PatternLab T-Fold module was used to compare the relative abundance of these 421 shared proteins, just three proteins were significantly more abundant in the survivor group. All three of these proteins have roles in extracellular host immune defense against pathogens: Fibronectin 1 (FN1) which had a 4.38 fold-change; Complement Component 4 Binding Protein Alpha (C4BPA) which had a 3.05 fold-change; and Immunoglobulin Kappa Variable 1-5 (IGKV1-5) which had a 2.14 fold-change. The same analysis, however, found that 135 proteins were significantly more abundant in the fatality group (Figure 2). A complete list of the significantly overexpressed proteins found in the fatality group of nasal samples is provided in Table 2.
Enriched gene ontology processes (GOPs) were identified using the protein pathway analysis tool “PANTHER”. Figure 3 shows the most significantly enriched GOPs identified in the 549-protein dataset associated with our fatality group nasal swabs. Figure 4 shows the most significantly enriched GOPs identified from the 421-protein dataset that was found in at least 50% of swabs taken from patients that died and patients that survived their infections. Figure 5 shows the most significantly enriched GOPs found within the 135-protein dataset, representing proteins that were observed to be significantly more abundant in the fatality group swabs than in the survivor group swabs. Figure 6 shows the GOPs that were significantly enriched within our 128-protein dataset, representing the proteins that our analysis identified as exclusively associated with fatality group nasal swabs. Comparing the GOPs present in fatal group datasets (Figure 3, Figure 5 and Figure 6) with those present in the survival group dataset (Figure 4), just three GOPs were found to be common in all of fatality groups but absent from the survivor swabs (Secretory vesicle, Secretory granule and Cytoplasmic vesicle lumen), showing that signs of cellular secretion pathway dysregulation in nasopharyngeal swabs was a robust indicator that our COVID-19 patients were likely to die from their infection.

4. Discussion

The patient samples analyzed in this study were collected between March and May 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with the first wave of cases in Manaus. During this period, the state of Amazonas reported up to 2763 confirmed cases per day, with 1723 cases in Manaus and 1040 in other municipalities across the state [10,11]. The profiles presented here thus all derive from patients who were hospitalized before the emergence of the deadly P1 SARS-CoV-2 strain that led to oxygen shortages and a complete collapse of the regional healthcare system [12,13].

4.1. The General Proteomic Profile of Nasopharyngeal Swabs

Our analysis identified a total of 1604 proteins in the nasopharyngeal swabs of our SARS-CoV-2 patients who died from their infections and a total of 981 in the nasopharyngeal swabs of our patient survivors. The nature of our analysis did not allow us to detect bacterial, fungal or other respiratory virus co-infections directly. However, the greater number and diversity (Table 2) of human proteins that were consistently detected in the patient swabs taken from fatalities might be partly explained by a more complex host immune response provoked by bacterial, fungal or respiratory viral co-infections which could be more common in fatal patient group swabs. Alternatively, the higher number of proteins detected in fatality patient swabs might be explained by a richer protein load in the mucus of fatal swabs or indeed other factors. Of the 421 identified proteins that were identified in the nasopharyngeal swabs of both our fatality and survivor groups, many belong to protein families that have previously been found in a range of SARS-CoV-2-infected samples. Not surprisingly, many of the shared proteins were linked to viral replication and immune responses as were most of the GOPs identified in this group of proteins (Supplementary Tables S2 and S3, Figure 4).

4.2. The Proteomic Profiles of Nasopharyngeal Swabs Associated with Fatalities

Previous studies have linked immune system dysregulation and T-cell exhaustion to COVID-19 mortality, and both our blood biochemistry analysis, which revealed significantly higher leukocyte counts in our survivor group, and our proteomic analysis of fatality samples from nasopharyngeal swabs support this [14,15,16,17]. The protein BPIFA1, an essential immune defense protein, was found in both our survivor and fatal group swabs but was significantly elevated in the swabs of patients who died (Table 2). Similarly, the major vault protein (MVP), a protein involved in immune modulation, was also upregulated (Table 2). Our analysis also identified proteins associated with epithelial lung damage, such as Keratin 14 (KRT14), which was upregulated in our fatality group swabs, as well as the Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS2) protein—see Table 2 [18]. Interestingly, the upregulation of NOS2 has been previously reported to be associated with mortalities from first-wave SARS-CoV-2 infections, but not with deaths from subsequent COVID-19 waves [19]. Our discovery that this protein is upregulated in fatal case swabs can thus be seen as providing valuable corroborating proteomic data to support this observation (Table 2).
The proteins HSP90B1, CANX, EEF2, and MUC5AC, which were consistently detected in both fatality and survivor group swabs, are all linked to viral exploitation of patient cellular mechanics [20,21,22,23,24,25]. Our GO analysis also detected viral exploitation of host mechanisms by identifying RNA binding and cytoplasmic translation GOPs that are enriched in the 421 shared protein dataset (Supplementary Table S2; Figure 4). The significantly higher abundance of these proteins and related GOs within the fatality group patient swabs of our study agrees with findings from other similar proteomic studies, which have tied ribosomal hijacking to viral load escalation [20,21,22,23,24,25]. The detection of elevated levels of cytoskeletal proteins, like Vinculin (VCL), which are linked with epithelial barrier disruption, lung injury and viral cellular entry, can also be interpreted as evidence of elevated levels of viral activity being detected in the swabs of our fatality group patients and agrees with the findings from similar studies [20,21,22,23,24,25]. The detection of the viral replication-linked proteins DX1, DDX17, and XPO1 (Exportin-1) exclusively in our fatality dataset could be a consequence of these proteins being less abundantly used in SARS-CoV-2 replication and thus only detectable in seriously out-of-control infections that are likely to lead to death (Table 1).
Hypoxia Up-regulated Protein 1 (HYOU1) was found among the 128 proteins that our analysis classified as exclusive to our fatality group (Table 2). Oxygen deprivation is a key clinical pathology associated with COVID-19 mortality. Thus, a biomarker, like HYOU1, which detects this at the cellular level and cannot be detected in survivor swabs, represents a promising marker for disease progression or mortality risk. Similarly, endothelial injury and thrombosis are both strongly linked to COVID-19 mortality and are also related to the protein S100-A10 [2,15]. The S100-A10 protein, which was not among the proteins associated with survivor swabs but was detected in more than 50% of the swabs from our fatality group, also represents a promising biomarker for predicting disease progression.

4.3. The Proteomic Profiles of Nasopharyngeal Swabs Associated with Survival

In our study, only three proteins were found to be significantly more abundant in the group of patients who survived. These proteins: fibronectin 1 (FN1), C4b-binding protein alpha chain (C4BPA), and immunoglobulin kappa variable 1-5 (IGKV1-5) were identified as four-fold, three-fold, and two-fold more abundant in this group, respectively. IGKV1-5 is a predominant component of specific neutralizing antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein [26]. The increased presence of IGKV1-5 in recovered patients suggests an enhanced humoral immune response, which may contribute to viral clearance and improved clinical outcomes. Our patient’s biochemical blood analysis also supported this interpretation by revealing significantly higher leukocyte counts in our survivor patient (Supplementary Figure S1). The most over-expressed of the three proteins, FN1, is an extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis and more generally in immune response and tissue repair and thus, from a functional perspective, it is not surprising that it would be more abundant in our survivor group swabs [27]. However, FN1 levels have been reported to gradually increase in the blood plasma of COVID-19 patients as the disease progresses, leading to its consideration as a potential marker of disease severity [28]. The increased levels of FN1 observed in the swabs of patients who recovered from the disease in our study have two possible interpretations: either FN1 played a role in tissue repair, facilitating recovery, or its elevation indicates a predisposition to post-COVID-19 complications, such as pulmonary fibrosis. Either way, our study suggests that caution must be exercised when using FN1, at least in nasopharyngeal swabs, as a marker for disease progression. One influential previous study on the proteomic profiles of fatal COVID-19 infections reported that patients who succumbed to the disease exhibited elevated blood plasma levels of C4BPA. This immunomodulator regulates complement activation [29,30]. Our finding of high levels of C4BPA in nasopharyngeal swabs supports less influential blood plasma studies. It highlights the need for caution when interpreting patient immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as the difficulty of identifying reliable markers for disease progression [31]. As our analysis did not identify any proteins that were unique to the nasopharyngeal swabs of our survivor group and only three unregulated proteins, the power of the gene ontology analysis we could do with the survivor group-associated proteins was limited. Nevertheless, our analysis still identified two defense response GOPs (GO:0051707 and GO:0009615) in the survivor swabs that were absent from the swabs taken from patients who died from their infections. The absence of these GOPs in the fatal swabs aligns with studies that have documented immune exhaustion in severe cases of COVID-19 [32]. Similarly, the absence of many viral-replication-associated GOPs from the swabs of those who survived their infection supports the hypothesis that effective immune responses limit viral replication [32].

4.4. Study Limitations

The shotgun proteomics approach in this study prioritized analytical depth over sample size. Our study, therefore, uses a smaller patient cohort than typically employed in a clinical investigation aiming to definitively link a single protein to a specific pathology. Consequently, our findings are more susceptible to sampling biases than those from a larger patient cohort. The analytical tools used to identify proteins and GO processes that were significantly more abundant in the swabs of patients who died from SARS-CoV-2 (compared to those who survived) all incorporate correction procedures to compensate for false discoveries. While these procedures are expected to drastically reduce the possibility of incorrectly identifying a non-overrepresented protein, they cannot eliminate it. Therefore, our findings are preliminary; they serve to identify candidate proteins for future, larger-scale studies rather than as definitively conclusive results.

5. Conclusions

This study found distinct proteomic signatures in nasopharyngeal swabs from patients who died and survived the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Manaus (Brazil), before the emergence of the deadly P1 SARS-CoV-2 strain. Most proteomic studies of COVID-19 patients have hitherto focused on their blood and plasma profiles and thus provided insights into the systemic host immune response to infections, rather than a detailed picture of the immune response at the site of infection. In our study, proteins linked to hypoxia, endothelial injury, uncontrolled viral spread, and immune collapse were found to be more abundant in or exclusive to the fatality group swabs. In contrast, survivor swabs showed elevated levels of immune defense proteins (FN1, C4BPA, IGKV1-5), indicating robust antiviral responses. HYOU1 and S100A10 were identified as biomarkers for fatal outcomes, reflecting hypoxia and thrombosis. Interestingly and consistent with previous studies, our study found that the NOS2 protein, which was previously reported to be associated with first wave COVID deaths, was present only in our fatality swabs. Despite our study having a limited sample size, our findings highlight the utility of nasopharyngeal swabs for identifying disease progression biomarkers and provide valuable insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying COVID-19 deaths during the first wave in Manaus.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/covid5110192/s1. Supplementary Material File S1: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) procedures [9,33]. Supplementary Materials File S2: Protein spectrum analysis procedures [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42]. Supplementary Table S1: Sociodemographic and clinical profiles of participating patients. Supplementary Table S2: Proteins (549) identified in >50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of our fatality group patients, hospitalized with COVID-19 in Manaus 2020. Supplementary Table S3: Proteins (421) identified in >50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of our survivor group patients, hospitalized with COVID-19 in Manaus 2020. Supplementary Figure S1: key patient blood biochemical markers.

Author Contributions

P.F.A. and P.C.C. designed the survey; C.P.M.A., P.F.A., K.C.O., M.D.M.S. and J.L.C. wrote the manuscript; F.G.N., F.N.O., G.C.M., V.S.S. and M.V.G.L. provided the biological samples used in this study; C.P.M.A., M.B., M.D.M.S., A.C.C.-A., D.B.L., J.d.S.G.F. and J.L.C. performed the analysis; C.P.M.A., A.S.S., S.A.C., C.M.V., M.D.M.S. and P.F.A. interpreted the results; P.F.A. and P.C.C. supervised the research. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM) with student stipends for C.P.M.A. and CMV and with the Project grant PCTI-EMERGESAÚDE/AM/FAPEAM: 062.00472/2020/FAPEAM. Financial support was also provided through an internal grant call entitled: “Fiocruz Inova: Geração de conhecimento—enfrentamento da pandemia e pós-pandemia COVID-19 encomendas estratégicas”.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado (CAAE:30152620.1.0000.0005 and CAAE:30504220.5.0000.0005) for studies involving humans. The project received approval on 23 March 2020.

Informed Consent Statement

The patient samples used in this study were from Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema biorepository (IPCCB) of clinical samples, which was set-up with ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado (CAAE:30152620.1.0000.0005 and CAAE:30504220.5.0000.0005). Informed consent for use of IPCCB clinical samples in research studies is waived provided the studies they intend to be used in have received ethics approval and a trustee of the IPCCB deems the use of the samples appropriate. A letter signed by a IPCCB trustee approving the use of the samples for the project set out in this paper was obtained on the 19 August 2020.

Data Availability Statement

The original data presented in the study are openly available in the PRIDE data repository [https://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride] and can be accessed with the project accession code: PXD064171.

Acknowledgments

We thank Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane (ILMD), the Mass Spectrometry Facility (RPT02H), and Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz for their technical and infrastructural support for this study. We also gratefully acknowledge support from the post-graduate program ‘PPGBIO’ and the scientific initiation program ‘PAIC’ of the Fiocruz, ILMD.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. Venn diagram illustrating the distribution of shared and unique proteins identified in nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients who succumbed to COVID-19 and those who survived. Only proteins detected in at least four biological replicates per group were considered for this analysis. The diagram highlights 128 proteins that are exclusively present in the deceased patients, and no proteins were uniquely identified in the survivors.
Figure 1. Venn diagram illustrating the distribution of shared and unique proteins identified in nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients who succumbed to COVID-19 and those who survived. Only proteins detected in at least four biological replicates per group were considered for this analysis. The diagram highlights 128 proteins that are exclusively present in the deceased patients, and no proteins were uniquely identified in the survivors.
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Figure 2. Horizontal bar graph depicting the primary protein families with increased abundance in COVID-19 patients who died from their infections. The identified families include Annexin, Thioredoxin, Proteasome, Serpin, S100, and Chaperone, each represented by distinct colors. The X-axis indicates fold change values, reflecting the variation in protein abundance within each family.
Figure 2. Horizontal bar graph depicting the primary protein families with increased abundance in COVID-19 patients who died from their infections. The identified families include Annexin, Thioredoxin, Proteasome, Serpin, S100, and Chaperone, each represented by distinct colors. The X-axis indicates fold change values, reflecting the variation in protein abundance within each family.
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Figure 3. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 549 proteins that our analysis found in ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who succumbed to their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
Figure 3. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 549 proteins that our analysis found in ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who succumbed to their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
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Figure 4. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 421 proteins that our analysis found were in both ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who died and ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who survived their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
Figure 4. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 421 proteins that our analysis found were in both ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who died and ≥50% of the nasopharyngeal swabs of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who survived their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
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Figure 5. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 135 proteins that our analysis found to be significantly more abundant in the swabs of patients who died from their SARS-CoV-2 infections than in the swabs of patients who survived their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated. GO processes were classified as represented using the criteria of PANTHER software (version 19.0).
Figure 5. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 135 proteins that our analysis found to be significantly more abundant in the swabs of patients who died from their SARS-CoV-2 infections than in the swabs of patients who survived their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated. GO processes were classified as represented using the criteria of PANTHER software (version 19.0).
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Figure 6. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 128 proteins that our analysis found exclusively in the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who died from their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
Figure 6. A horizontal bar graph summarizing the most enriched GO processes identified from the 128 proteins that our analysis found exclusively in the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who died from their infections. GO processes with similar biological functions have been grouped into categories and colored as indicated.
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Table 1. A list of 135 proteins that our analysis found to be significantly more abundant in the swabs of patients who died from their SARS-CoV-2 infections than in the swabs of patients who survived their infections. Uniport identification numbers are given in the collum labeled locus. Proteins were classified as significantly overrepresented using the criteria employed by PatternLab T-fold software (version 5.0.0.198).
Table 1. A list of 135 proteins that our analysis found to be significantly more abundant in the swabs of patients who died from their SARS-CoV-2 infections than in the swabs of patients who survived their infections. Uniport identification numbers are given in the collum labeled locus. Proteins were classified as significantly overrepresented using the criteria employed by PatternLab T-fold software (version 5.0.0.198).
LocusGeneDescriptionFold Change
P80188LCN2Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin 2.01
P06753TPM3Tropomyosin alpha-3 chain 2.02
P61626LYZLysozyme C 2.05
Q96C19EFHD2EF-hand domain-containing protein D2 2.08
P04083ANXA1Annexin A1 2.09
P32119PRDX2Peroxiredoxin-2 2.12
P13796LCP1Plastin-2 2.14
P52566ARHGDIBRho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2 2.15
P06733ENO1Alpha-enolase 2.18
P47756CAPZBF-actin-capping protein subunit beta 2.21
P06396GSNGelsolin 2.22
P05387RPLP2Large ribosomal subunit protein P2 2.22
P28799GRNProgranulin 2.25
P37802TAGLN2Transgelin-2 2.28
Q06830PRDX1Peroxiredoxin-1 2.29
P13987CD59CD59 glycoprotein 2.33
P52565ARHGDIARho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 1 2.34
P80303NUCB2Nucleobindin-2 2.35
P37837TALDO1Transaldolase 2.36
P07737PFN1Profilin-1 2.44
P04040CATCatalase 2.46
Q13510ASAH1Acid ceramidase 2.47
P04075ALDOAFructose-bisphosphate aldolase A 2.52
P62937PPIAPeptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A 2.52
Q9UGM3DMBT1Scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain-containing protein DMBT1 2.55
P14618PKMPyruvate kinase PKM 2.59
P20700LMNB1Lamin-B1 2.61
O00391QSOX1Sulfhydryl oxidase 1 2.62
P31944CASP14Caspase-14 2.62
O43707ACTN4Alpha-actinin-4 2.63
P09960LTA4HLeukotriene A-4 hydrolase 2.64
P26583HMGB2High mobility group protein B2 2.65
P18669PGAM1Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 2.66
P20061TCN1Transcobalamin-1 2.71
P06744GPIGlucose-6-phosphate isomerase 2.72
O15143ARPC1BActin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 1B 2.74
Q9H299SH3BGRL3SH3 domain-binding glutamic acid-rich-like protein 3 2.74
P09758TACSTD2Tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 2.76
P17931LGALS3Galectin-3 2.78
P60660MYL6Myosin light polypeptide 6 2.82
P03973SLPIAntileukoproteinase 2.85
P28066PSMA5Proteasome subunit alpha type-5 2.91
Q06323PSME1Proteasome activator complex subunit 1 2.91
P61604HSPE110 kDa heat shock protein, mitochondrial 2.92
P16401H1-5Histone H1.5 2.92
P29401TKTTransketolase 3.04
P07998RNASE1Ribonuclease pancreatic 3.08
P26038MSNMoesin 3.09
P04632CAPNS1Calpain small subunit 1 3.11
P04406GAPDHGlyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 3.11
P23528CFL1Cofilin-1 3.14
P40121CAPGMacrophage-capping protein 3.17
P19957PI3Elafin 3.18
P04792HSPB1Heat shock protein beta-1 3.19
P10909CLUClusterin 3.19
P12273PIPProlactin-inducible protein 3.21
P63104YWHAZ14-3-3 protein zeta/delta 3.23
P40926MDH2Malate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial 3.26
P06703S100A6Protein S100-A6 3.30
P07339CTSDCathepsin D 3.35
P00352ALDH1A1Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 3.36
P20810CASTCalpastatin 3.36
Q09666AHNAKNeuroblast differentiation-associated protein AHNAK 3.39
P23284PPIBPeptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase B 3.41
O14745NHERF1Na(+)/H(+) exchange regulatory cofactor NHE-RF1 3.42
P07355ANXA2Annexin A2 3.47
P07237P4HBProtein disulfide-isomerase 3.47
P11413G6PDGlucose-6-phosphate 1-dehydrogenase 3.48
O15144ARPC2Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 3.50
P61158ACTR3Actin-related protein 3 3.50
P59998ARPC4Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 4 3.57
Q14508WFDC2WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2 3.62
Q01518CAP1Adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 3.62
P07858CTSBCathepsin B 3.63
P00338LDHAL-lactate dehydrogenase A chain 3.65
P52209PGD6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, decarboxylating 3.66
P80723BASP1Brain acid soluble protein 1 3.66
P78417GSTO1Glutathione S-transferase omega-1 3.69
P14314PRKCSHGlucosidase 2 subunit beta 3.72
P15311EZREzrin 3.73
P61981YWHAG14-3-3 protein gamma 3.76
P61916NPC2NPC intracellular cholesterol transporter 2 3.76
P35579MYH9Myosin-9 3.81
P27797CALRCalreticulin 3.81
P11142HSPA8Heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein 3.82
Q8TDL5BPIFB1BPI fold-containing family B member 1 3.83
P60174TPI1Triosephosphate isomerase 3.84
P07602PSAPProsaposin 3.86
P31949S100A11Protein S100-A11 3.92
Q99497PARK7Parkinson disease protein 7 3.99
P07195LDHBL-lactate dehydrogenase B chain 4.00
P01011SERPINA3Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin 4.06
P12429ANXA3Annexin A3 4.10
P50395GDI2Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta 4.32
P25788PSMA3Proteasome subunit alpha type-3 4.33
O00299CLIC1Chloride intracellular channel protein 1 4.36
P31946YWHAB14-3-3 protein beta/alpha 4.37
Q96DA0ZG16BPancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor 4.43
P00558PGK1Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 4.47
P30101PDIA3Protein disulfide-isomerase A3 4.53
P47929LGALS7Galectin-7 4.60
P43490NAMPTNicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase 4.61
P55072VCPTransitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase 4.62
Q6P5S2LEG1Protein LEG1 homolog 4.75
P62258YWHAE14-3-3 protein epsilon 4.79
P07900HSP90AA1Heat shock protein HSP 90-alpha 4.81
O75083WDR1WD repeat-containing protein 1 4.82
P61978HNRNPKHeterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K 4.83
P51149RAB7ARas-related protein Rab-7a 4.87
P22626HNRNPA2B1Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1 4.87
P02545LMNAPrelamin-A/C 4.88
P08238HSP90AB1Heat shock protein HSP 90-beta 4.93
P30041PRDX6Peroxiredoxin-6 5.05
P08758ANXA5Annexin A5 5.10
O95994AGR2Anterior gradient protein 2 homolog 5.15
O14818PSMA7Proteasome subunit alpha type-7 5.18
P36952SERPINB5Serpin B5 5.36
Q15084PDIA6Protein disulfide-isomerase A6 5.50
P52907CAPZA1F-actin-capping protein subunit alpha-1 5.57
P25705ATP5F1AATP synthase subunit alpha, mitochondrial 5.57
P08133ANXA6Annexin A6 5.64
P46940IQGAP1Ras GTPase-activating-like protein IQGAP1 5.70
P23396RPS3Small ribosomal subunit protein uS3 5.85
P13667PDIA4Protein disulfide-isomerase A4 5.87
P29508SERPINB3Serpin B3 6.20
P26641EEF1GElongation factor 1-gamma 6.40
P98088MUC5ACMucin-5AC 6.48
P18206VCLVinculin 6.57
P27824CANXCalnexin 7.21
P13639EEF2Elongation factor 2 7.24
Q13813SPTAN1Spectrin alpha chain, non-erythrocytic 1 7.54
Q14764MVPMajor vault protein 8.05
Q9NP55BPIFA1BPI fold-containing family A member 1 8.32
Q00610CLTCClathrin heavy chain 1 9.54
P14625HSP90B1Endoplasmin 9.93
Table 2. A complete list of the 128 proteins that were exclusively identified in the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who succumbed to their infections.
Table 2. A complete list of the 128 proteins that were exclusively identified in the nasopharyngeal swabs of the hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who succumbed to their infections.
LocusReplicate CountDescriptionGene
P025334Keratin, type I cytoskeletal 14 KRT14
P352414Radixin RDX
P005054Aspartate aminotransferase, mitochondrial GOT2
Q9BR764Coronin-1B CORO1B
P477554F-actin-capping protein subunit alpha-2 CAPZA2
P469264Glucosamine-6-phosphate isomerase 1 GNPDA1
Q924994ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX1 DDX1
Q162224UDP-N-acetylhexosamine pyrophosphorylase UAP1
O607164Catenin delta-1 CTNND1
P478974Glutamine-tRNA ligase QARS1
P364054ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 3 ARL3
Q9UHL44Dipeptidyl peptidase 2 DPP7
P148664Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L HNRNPL
Q0444641,4-alpha-glucan-branching enzyme GBE1
P613134Large ribosomal subunit protein eL15 RPL15
P122684Inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 IMPDH2
Q1669842,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase [(3E)-enoyl-CoA-producing], mitochondrial DECR1
O437474AP-1 complex subunit gamma-1 AP1G1
P624954Eukaryotic peptide chain release factor subunit 1 ETF1
Q076664KH domain-containing, RNA-binding, signal transduction-associated protein 1 KHDRBS1
P266404Valine-tRNA ligase VARS1
P094964Clathrin light chain A CLTA
P078144Bifunctional glutamate/proline-tRNA ligase EPRS1
Q150194Septin-2 SEPTIN2
P352284Nitric oxide synthase, inducible NOS2
Q928204Gamma-glutamyl hydrolase GGH
P539994Activated RNA polymerase II transcriptional coactivator p15 SUB1
Q9Y2774Voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 3 VDAC3
Q9BS264Endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 44 ERP44
Q9Y4L14Hypoxia up-regulated protein 1 HYOU1
O149804Exportin-1 XPO1
Q929454Far upstream element-binding protein 2 KHSRP
P509144Large ribosomal subunit protein eL14 RPL14
O152314Zinc finger protein 185 ZNF185
P609034Protein S100-A10 S100A10
P319304Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 1, mitochondrial UQCRC1
O954334Activator of 90 kDa heat shock protein ATPase homolog 1 AHSA1
P155864N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfatase GNS
Q165434Hsp90 co-chaperone Cdc37 CDC37
Q9Y2Z04Protein SGT1 homolog SUGT1
Q003254Solute carrier family 25 member 3 SLC25A3
Q996234Prohibitin-2 PHB2
P200424Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 2 EIF2S2
P079544Fumarate hydratase, mitochondrial FH
P206744Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A, mitochondrial COX5A
Q027904Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP4 FKBP4
P497484Very long-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, mitochondrial ACADVL
O005604Syntenin-1 SDCBP
P051864Alkaline phosphatase, tissue-nonspecific isozyme ALPL
Q998294Copine-1 CPNE1
P550644Aquaporin-5 AQP5
Q86UX74Fermitin family homolog 3 FERMT3
O759554Flotillin-1 FLOT1
P0CG394POTE ankyrin domain family member J POTEJ
O753695Filamin-B FLNB
P481475Prolyl endopeptidase PREP
P050915Aldehyde dehydrogenase, mitochondrial ALDH2
Q9P2E95Ribosome-binding protein 1 RRBP1
P266395Threonine-tRNA ligase 1, cytoplasmic TARS1
Q010825Spectrin beta chain, non-erythrocytic 1 SPTBN1
P430345Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase IB subunit beta PAFAH1B1
P352215Catenin alpha-1 CTNNA1
Q15008526S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 6 PSMD6
P178585ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase, liver type PFKL
O43242526S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 3 PSMD3
P096225Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, mitochondrial DLD
P62195526S proteasome regulatory subunit 8 PSMC5
Q133475Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit I EIF3I
Q928415Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX17 DDX17
Q9Y3C85Ubiquitin-fold modifier-conjugating enzyme 1 UFC1
P530045Biliverdin reductase A BLVRA
Q135615Dynactin subunit 2 DCTN2
P050265Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit beta-1 ATP1B1
O957775U6 snRNA-associated Sm-like protein LSm8 LSM8
P467765Large ribosomal subunit protein uL15 RPL27A
P226955Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 2, mitochondrial UQCRC2
P186215Large ribosomal subunit protein uL22 RPL17
Q997295Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A/B HNRNPAB
P684025Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase IB subunit alpha2 PAFAH1B2
Q9Y6N55Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase, mitochondrial SQOR
Q994365Proteasome subunit beta type-7 PSMB7
O00233526S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 9 PSMD9
P352325Prohibitin 1 PHB1
P48556526S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 8 PSMD8
P684315Histone H3.1 H3C1
Q168365Hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, mitochondrial HADH
Q159425Zyxin ZYX
P683666Tubulin alpha-4A chain TUBA4A
P487356Isocitrate dehydrogenase [NADP], mitochondrial IDH2
Q3LXA36Triokinase/FMN cyclase TKFC
Q151496Plectin PLEC
Q9BZQ86Protein Niban 1 NIBAN1
P107686S-formylglutathione hydrolase ESD
Q9NTK56Obg-like ATPase 1 OLA1
P35998626S proteasome regulatory subunit 7 PSMC2
P356066Coatomer subunit beta’ COPB2
P053886Large ribosomal subunit protein uL10 RPLP0
P464596Vesicle-fusing ATPase NSF
P558846Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit B EIF3B
P624246Large ribosomal subunit protein eL8 RPL7A
P536186Coatomer subunit beta COPB1
P300846Enoyl-CoA hydratase, mitochondrial ECHS1
P217966Non-selective voltage-gated ion channel VDAC1 VDAC1
P581076Epiplakin EPPK1
P617586Prefoldin subunit 3 VBP1
O147736Tripeptidyl-peptidase 1 TPP1
P048436Dolichyl-diphosphooligosaccharide-protein glycosyltransferase subunit 1 RPN1
O438526Calumenin CALU
Q991026Mucin-4 MUC4
O433907Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein R HNRNPR
P112167Glycogen phosphorylase, brain form PYGB
P678097Y-box-binding protein 1 YBX1
P222347Bifunctional phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase/phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase PAICS
P220617Protein-L-isoaspartate(D-aspartate) O-methyltransferase PCMT1
P622777Small ribosomal subunit protein uS15 RPS13
Q079607Rho GTPase-activating protein 1 ARHGAP1
P040667Tissue alpha-L-fucosidase FUCA1
Q025437Large ribosomal subunit protein eL20 RPL18A
P550587Phospholipid transfer protein PLTP
P223077Sterol carrier protein 2 SCP2
P493278Fatty acid synthase FASN
P459748Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 5 USP5
Q6XQN68Nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase NAPRT
P200738Annexin A7 ANXA7
Q153708Elongin-B ELOB
Q156918Microtubule-associated protein RP/EB family member 1 MAPRE1
P134738Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 LAMP2
Q9UII28ATPase inhibitor, mitochondrial ATP5IF1
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MDPI and ACS Style

Araújo, C.P.M.; Vieira, C.M.; Ohse, K.C.; Silva, A.S.; Cavalcante, S.A.; Naveca, F.G.; Oliveira, F.N.; Crainey, J.L.; Lacerda, M.V.G.; Melo, G.C.; et al. Nasopharyngeal Proteomic Profiles from Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. COVID 2025, 5, 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110192

AMA Style

Araújo CPM, Vieira CM, Ohse KC, Silva AS, Cavalcante SA, Naveca FG, Oliveira FN, Crainey JL, Lacerda MVG, Melo GC, et al. Nasopharyngeal Proteomic Profiles from Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. COVID. 2025; 5(11):192. https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110192

Chicago/Turabian Style

Araújo, Cláudia P. M., Carolina M. Vieira, Ketlen C. Ohse, Alessandra S. Silva, Sofia A. Cavalcante, Felipe G. Naveca, Fernanda N. Oliveira, James L. Crainey, Marcus V. G. Lacerda, Gisely C. Melo, and et al. 2025. "Nasopharyngeal Proteomic Profiles from Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil" COVID 5, no. 11: 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110192

APA Style

Araújo, C. P. M., Vieira, C. M., Ohse, K. C., Silva, A. S., Cavalcante, S. A., Naveca, F. G., Oliveira, F. N., Crainey, J. L., Lacerda, M. V. G., Melo, G. C., Sampaio, V. S., Batista, M., Camillo-Andrade, A. C., Santos, M. D. M., Lima, D. B., Fischer, J. d. S. G., Carvalho, P. C., & Aquino, P. F. (2025). Nasopharyngeal Proteomic Profiles from Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. COVID, 5(11), 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/covid5110192

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