biostudies-literatureKuwano TJapan Agency for Medical Research and Development26057https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11522698biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)There have been several reports of skin manifestations in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it is unclear whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA can be detected on the skin surface, including the sebum, of these patients. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of skin surface lipids (SSLs) collected using an oil-blotting film from the faces of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Human transcriptome analysis was also performed using the same samples. In facial SSLs of patients with COVID-19, the RT-PCR positivity rate was 84.6% (11/13 samples) within 5 days and 30.4% (7/23 samples) by 6-10 days of symptom onset. In the transcriptome analysis, the moScientific reportsNon-invasive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and human transcriptome analysis using skin surface lipids.PMC11522698JP21fk0108104Nagai HSuzuki TTsutsumi TKawana-Tachikawa AKuwano TYotsuyanagi HIwamura MFukushima KKobayashi TKoga MMiyazato YTobiume MImamura AKanno TKutsuna STanaka MKinoshita-Iwamoto NInoue TMatano TYoshikawa NUeda YHirata YOhmagari NTakada NKatano HfalseNon-invasive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and human transcriptome analysis using skin surface lipids.There have been several reports of skin manifestations in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it is unclear whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA can be detected on the skin surface, including the sebum, of these patients. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of skin surface lipids (SSLs) collected using an oil-blotting film from the faces of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Human transcriptome analysis was also performed using the same samples. In facial SSLs of patients with COVID-19, the RT-PCR positivity rate was 84.6% (11/13 samples) within 5 days and 30.4% (7/23 samples) by 6-10 days of symptom onset. In the transcriptome analysis, the mo2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Oct2026-07-16T00:21:58.996Z2025-04-06T23:17:42.673ZS-EPMC115226983947246910.1038/s41598-024-77862-0