Enrichment of Microbial DNA in Plasma to Improve Pathogen Detection in Sepsis: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diagnosis of sepsis and timely identification of pathogens in critically ill patients remains challenging. Plasma metagenomic sequencing to detect microbial cell-free DNA (mDNA) has shown promise, but low abundance of mDNA in plasma limits sensitivity and necessitates high sequencing depth. mDNA is shorter and more fragmented than human cell-free DNA. Here, we evaluated whether combining single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequencing library preparation and size selection can enrich mDNA and improve pathogen detection.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 48 trauma patients and collected daily blood samples during the first 10 days of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. For patients with culture-proven infections, we extracted plasma DNA, prepared double-stranded DNA (dsDNA

SUBMITTER: Dominguez EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12702648 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature