ArticleFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology2025
Microbial culture vs. mNGS: diagnostic variations in periprosthetic joint infection.
Article in Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- From serum inflammatory markers to fluid, tissue, and molecular assays: current advances in the laboratory diagnosis of bone and joint infections.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Review
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Impact of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Tuberculous Osteoarticular Infections with Negative or Confounding Conventional Cultures.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- Application of NGS Technology in Osteomyelitis Caused by Human Bites.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of conventional microbial culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detecting pathogens in periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and to identify factors contributing to discrepancies between these two methods. Methods: A total of 167 patients with suspected PJI (including PJI patients and aseptic failure patients) who underwent revision joint replacement at our center from September 2017 to April 2024 were enrolled. Demographic data, prior antibiotic use, and results of microbial culture and mNGS were documented. Joint fluid, periprosthetic tissue, or prosthetic ultrasonic fluid samples were collected, and at least one sample from each patient underwent both microbial culture and mNGS testing. In the light of the concordance between culture and mNGS results, patients were divided into the detection consistent and detection inconsistent groups. The differences in pathogen detection between the two models were compared, and factors contributing to discordant results were analyzed. Results: The prior antibiotic use (OR = 2.137, 95% CI = 1.069-4.272, Conclusion: Clinicians should optimize diagnostic strategies by tailoring microbial culture methods to the patient's clinical condition and integrating mNGS testing where appropriate. It is recommended to use tissue specimens from the same anatomical site across multiple tests while sampling from different regions when necessary. Although this approach may increase costs, it significantly enhances the accuracy of pathogen identification and facilitates more effective treatment.
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