Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41476946›Full record

ArticleiScience2025

Bacterial cell-free DNA profiling reveals the co-elevation of multiple bacteria in newborn foals with suspected sepsis.

Li-Ting Chen, Emmy Wesdorp, Myrthe Jager, Esther W Siegers, Mathijs J P Theelen, Nicolle Besselink, Carlo Vermeulen, Aldert L Zomer, Els M Broens, Jaap A Wagenaar and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

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

11 authors.

Li-Ting ChenCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.
Emmy WesdorpCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.
Myrthe JagerCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.
Esther W SiegersDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CM, the Netherlands.
Mathijs J P TheelenDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CM, the Netherlands.
Nicolle BesselinkCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.
Carlo VermeulenCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.
Aldert L ZomerDepartment of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, the Netherlands.
Els M BroensDepartment of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, the Netherlands.
Jaap A WagenaarDepartment of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CL, the Netherlands.
Jeroen de RidderCenter for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in neonatal foals, yet current diagnostics lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Here, we present a foal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing for bacterial identification (cfFBI) workflow that integrates wet-lab and computational protocols, enabling direct bacterial profiling through enrichment of the bacterial cfDNA and minimization of false-positive detections. We applied cfFBI to blood from 25 hospitalized foals and 7 healthy foals (H). Sepsis-associated bacterial genera were elevated in all 11 nSIRS-positive (S+) foals compared to H, and in 8/11 when compared to both nSIRS-negative (nS-) and H, with multiple genera elevated in nearly half (45.5%). While total cfDNA concentration, bacterial fraction, and microbial diversity did not differ between groups, S+ foals showed distinct cfDNA end-motif patterns and reduced mitochondrial cfDNA fractions. These findings indicate that cfDNA sequencing enables the detection of pathogenic bacteria and can help identify additional (host-related) sepsis biomarkers.

Indexed as

Equine microbiologyEquine pediatric medicineMicrobial genomics

Identifiers

PMID41476946
PMCPMC12753253

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.