Superiority of transcriptional profiling over procalcitonin for distinguishing bacterial from viral lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Distinguishing between bacterial and viral lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) remains challenging. Transcriptional profiling is a promising tool for improving diagnosis in LRTI.

Methods

We performed whole blood transcriptional analysis in 118 patients (median age [interquartile range], 61 [50-76] years) hospitalized with LRTI and 40 age-matched healthy controls (median age, 60 [46-70] years). We applied class comparisons, modular analysis, and class prediction algorithms to identify and validate diagnostic biosignatures for bacterial and viral LRTI.

Results

Patients were classified as having bacterial (n = 22), viral (n = 71), or bacterial-viral LRTI (n = 25) based on comprehensive microbiologic testing. Compared with healthy controls, statistical gro

SUBMITTER: Suarez NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4565998 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature