Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41188711›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Intra-host diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in children with long-term and short-term excretion in nasopharyngeal samples.

Haifa Khemiri, Alessio Lorusso, Kaouther Ayouni, Nicolas Radomski, Monia Ben Khaled, Iolanda Mangone, Adriano Di Pasquale, Cesare Cammà, Ilhem Ben Fraj, Najla Mekki and 14 more

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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

24 authors.

Haifa KhemiriLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-8556-7493
Alessio LorussoIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, 64100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6156-8212
Kaouther AyouniLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Nicolas RadomskiIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, 64100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7480-4197
Monia Ben KhaledDepartment of Pediatrics: Immunohematology and stem cell transplantation, National Center of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tunis, Tunisia.
Iolanda MangoneIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, 64100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6716-091X
Adriano Di PasqualeIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, 64100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9328-3972
Cesare CammàIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, 64100, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7547-1195
Ilhem Ben FrajDepartment of Pediatrics: Immunohematology and stem cell transplantation, National Center of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tunis, Tunisia.
Najla MekkiLaboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infection, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Khawla MeftahLaboratory of Microbiology Bechir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Oussama SouiaiLaboratory of Bioinformatics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Imen Ben MustaphaLaboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infection, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Semia RekayaDepartment of Pediatrics: Immunohematology and stem cell transplantation, National Center of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tunis, Tunisia.
Henda TouziLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Amel SadraouiLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Zina MeddebLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Nahed HoggaLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Hanen SmaouiLaboratory of Microbiology Bechir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Mohamed-Ridha BarboucheLaboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infection, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-4145-8644
Monia OuederniDepartment of Pediatrics: Immunohematology and stem cell transplantation, National Center of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tunis, Tunisia.
Mariem GdouraLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2031-6534
Henda TrikiLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia.
Sondes Haddad-BoubakerLaboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13 place Pasteur, BP74 1002 le Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisia. sondeshaddadboubaker@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9705-4387

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe intra-host diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric populations remains insufficiently studied. To address this significant knowledge gap, the present study investigates the intra-host variability of SARS-CoV-2 in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient children, including those with severe cases. The research encompasses both short-term and long-term infections, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of viral dynamics in these vulnerable groups. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis study analyzed 47 pediatric COVID-19 patients: 37 with short-term infections and 10 with long-term infections including 3 immunodeficient cases. Viral RNA was extracted and detected using RT-qPCR, followed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) using the Illumina COVIDSeq assay. Bioinformatics analysis was performed with the nextflow/viralrecon pipeline. The number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the frequency of Major (M-SNPs) and minor (m-SNPs) missense SNPs were analyzed using the ggplot2 R package and GraphPad Prism software, respectively.

resultsA total of 96 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from 45 patients (35 short-term and 10 long-term shedders), were classified into four variants: Alpha, B.1.160, Delta, and Omicron. SNPs were common across SARS-CoV-2 variants (88.21%-100%), with frequent cytosine-to-thymidine (C > T) substitutions (44.05%-52.85%). Missense mutations were also prominent (57.52% to 80.32%). Variability in SNPs numbers was observed over time in Delta and Omicron variants, particularly in severe and immunodeficient cases. Missense m-SNPs exhibited variation in long-term shedders, especially among severe immunocompetent and immunodeficient patients.

conclusionOur findings revealed significant intra-host variability in SARS-CoV-2 among severe and immunodeficient pediatric patients. These results underscore the critical importance of continuous surveillance of viral variants within pediatric populations to enhance our understanding of their impact on disease progression and clinical outcomes.

Indexed as

COVID-19NasopharynxSARS-CoV-2AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGenome, ViralHumansImmunocompromised HostInfantMalePolymorphism, Single NucleotideRNA, ViralVirus SheddingWhole Genome SequencingRNA, ViralImmunocompetentImmunodeficientIntra-host diversityMissense SNPM-SNPsPediatrics

Identifiers

PMID41188711
PMCPMC12584427

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