Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42437892›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2026

Blood mNGS: an effective non-invasive diagnostic tool for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

Yuhui Chen, Sifen Lu, Ailin Zhao, Meng Li, Xinai Gan, Yutong Wang, Yang Yang, Min Huang, Qitong Wang, Ting Niu and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. 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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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yuhui Chen *Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6245-4619
Sifen Lu *Precision Medicine Center and Breathing and Comorbidities Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Ailin ZhaoDepartment of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China.
Meng LiDepartment of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China.
Xinai GanDepartment of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China.
Yutong WangDepartment of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China.
Yang YangCenter of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Min HuangBeijing Genomics institution, Shenzhen, China.
Qitong WangThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, China.
Ting NiuDepartment of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China. niuting@wchscu.cn.
Yongzhao ZhouIntegrated Care Management Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXueXiang Street, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, China. yongzhaozhou001@wchscu.cn.

Funding

1.3.5 Project of High Altitude Medicine GYYX24003National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2406804National Natural Science Foundation of China 82370192the Kunming Medical Joint Special Project of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project 202401AY070001-295the Scientific Research Fund of Yunnan Provincial Department of Education 2024J0304West China Hospital, Sichuan University, the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province 2024NSFSC1746
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection. Colonization is prevalent but cannot be reliably distinguished from active infection by conventional methods. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a promising diagnostic tool, but the value of blood mNGS for diagnosis, microbial community comparison, and outcome-related associations in PJP remains unclear.

methodsWe analyzed 73 suspected PJP patients with paired BALF and blood mNGS. Using strict diagnostic criteria, patients were classified as: PJP (n = 50) and P. jirovecii colonization (PJC, n = 23). Bioinformatic analyses compared compartment-specific microbiota. BALF-blood concordance and associations between P. jirovecii load and outcomes were evaluated.

resultsBALF showed higher α-diversity than blood (both Shannon and Simpson, P < 0.001), whereas β-diversity showed no compartmental segregation. BALF identified 216 species versus 43 in blood; however, the top-10 species were concordantly ranked (90% concordance). Blood mNGS distinguished PJP from PJC with an AUC of 0.80 (specificity 95.7%, sensitivity 62.0% at RPM > 4.8), outperforming BALF mNGS (AUC 0.76), blood PCR (AUC 0.64) and BALF PCR (AUC 0.73). Gram-negative bacteria accounted for a large proportion of blood taxa (75% of top 20 taxa), while BALF showed additional fungal taxa including Aspergillus fumigatus. LEfSe identified matrix-specific taxa: oral commensals in PJC-BALF. Blood P. jirovecii load correlated positively with LDH (r = 0.34, P = 0.0035), CRP (r = 0.34, P = 0.0031), and BDG (r = 0.26, P = 0.025), and was higher in non-survivors (P < 0.05).

conclusionBlood mNGS may serve as a non-invasive, highly specific complementary tool for PJP diagnosis and broader microbiological assessment.

Indexed as

High-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingMetagenomicsPneumocystis cariniiPneumonia, PneumocystisAged, 80 and overBacteriaBronchoalveolar Lavage FluidFemaleHumansMaleMicrobiotaMiddle AgedSensitivity and SpecificityBloodDiagnosisMetagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS)Microbial communitiesOutcome associationsPneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Identifiers

PMID42437892
PMCPMC13644192

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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.