Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41162595›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing reveals respiratory flora distribution in COVID-19.

Chong Wang, Shuo Yang, Qi Liu, Hongchao Liu, He Wang, Sisi Ma, Jing Li, Liyan Cui

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

8 authors.

Chong WangDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Shuo YangDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Qi LiuDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Hongchao LiuDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
He WangDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Sisi MaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Jing LiDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
Liyan CuiDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China. cliyan@163.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 61771022, 62071011
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This retrospective study compared metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and traditional culture for pathogen detection in 43 patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), including 34 COVID-19 cases (14 critical, 20 non-critical) and 9 non-COVID controls. mNGS demonstrated superior sensitivity (95.35% vs. 81.08%) and broader pathogen coverage, identifying 36.36% of bacteria and 74.07% of fungi detected by cultures. Concordance between methods was observed in 63% of cases. Severe COVID-19 patients exhibited reduced respiratory microbiota abundance, potentially linked to viral dominance or therapeutic interventions. Clinical outcomes correlated positively with inflammatory markers (procalcitonin/PCT, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide/N-proBNP, neutrophils, lactate dehydrogenase/LDH, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio/NLR) and negatively with lymphocytes, highlighting systemic inflammation's role in disease progression. While mNGS offers rapid, high-sensitivity pathogen profiling, limitations include small sample sizes, unresolved specificity concerns and unmeasured confounders. The study underscores mNGS as a promising tool for LRTI diagnosis in COVID-19, though larger prospective cohorts and standardized outcome metrics are needed to validate clinical utility, optimize interpretation, and address cost-effectiveness compared to conventional methods.

Indexed as

COVID-19High-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingMetagenomicsMicrobiotaRespiratory Tract InfectionsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2BacteriaCOVID-19Lower respiratory tract infectionMetagenomic next-generation sequencingRespiratory floraSARS-COV-2

Identifiers

PMID41162595
PMCPMC12572204

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.