Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40133835›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing combined by medical thoracoscopy surgery among infectious pleural effusion patients.

Nannan Gao, Saran Feng, Xiaoxiao Yu, Jing Zhao, Yunyan Wan, Zhouhong Yao, Dezhi Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. What is new in pleural infections?Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nannan GaoDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Weiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
Saran FengDepartment of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, 250000, China.
Xiaoxiao YuShandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250102, China.
Jing ZhaoDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Weiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
Yunyan WanDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Weiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
Zhouhong YaoDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Weiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
Dezhi LiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Weiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China. lidezhixy@hotmail.com.

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Shandong province ZR2014HQ050
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a novel method for identifying pathogens in infectious diseases. This study aimed to explored the application value of mNGS in diagnosing pulmonary infections with pleural effusion, confirmed by medical thoracoscopy.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 25 patients with pulmonary infections and pleural effusion between July 2020 and December 2021. All patients had their diagnosis confirmed by medical thoracoscopy to obtain tissue samples for both traditional testing and mNGS. Samples included pleural effusion, successive sputum, and tissue obtained through medical thoracoscopy. We wanted to assess how effective mNGS was in accurately diagnosing these infections.

resultsThis study found that the positive predictive value of mNGS (76% (19/25)) was significantly higher than that of traditional testing (32% (8/25)). The most commonly identified pathogens were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 5), followed by Fusobacterium nucleatum (n = 4), Torque teno virus (n = 4), Streptococcus intermedius (n = 3), Peptostreptococcus stomatis (n = 2), Porphyromonas endodontalis (n = 2), and Campylobacter rectus (n = 2). The percentage of mNGS-positive cases was significantly higher than that from traditional testing for bacteria, but the superiority of mNGS for tuberculosis detection was insignificant. Ten cases were identified with mixed infections by mNGS, while no mixed infections were found by traditional testing.

conclusionsOur study showed that using mNGS in combination with biopsy samples obtained through medical thoracoscopy resulted in higher positive rates compared to traditional tests and provided more evidence of pathogens for patients with infectious pleural effusion.

Indexed as

High-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingMetagenomicsPleural EffusionThoracoscopyAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBacteriaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsRetrospective StudiesDiagnostic valueInfectious pleural effusionMedical thoracoscopyMetagenomic next-generation sequencing

Identifiers

PMID40133835
PMCPMC11938611

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.