Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cell-free DNA for the identification of viruses causing central nervous system infections.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

This study provides significant new data on the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to clinical diagnostics of central nervous system (CNS) viral infections, which can have high mortality rates and severe sequelae. Conventional diagnostic procedures for identifying viruses can be inefficient and rely on preconceived assumptions about the pathogen, making mNGS an appealing alternative. However, the effectiveness of mNGS is affected by the presence of human DNA contamination, which can be minimized by using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) instead of whole-cell DNA (wcDNA). This multi-center retrospective study of patients with suspected viral CNS infection found that mNGS using cfDNA had a significantly lower proportion of human DNA and higher sensitivity fo

SUBMITTER: Lu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10783088 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature