Plasma microbial cell-free DNA sequencing from over 15,000 patients identified a broad spectrum of pathogens

SY Park, EJ Chang, N Ledeboer… - Journal of Clinical …, 2023 - Am Soc Microbiol
SY Park, EJ Chang, N Ledeboer, K Messacar, MS Lindner, S Venkatasubrahmanyam…
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2023Am Soc Microbiol
Microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing is an emerging infectious disease diagnostic
tool which enables unbiased pathogen detection and quantification from plasma. The Karius
Test, a commercial mcfDNA sequencing assay developed by and available since 2017 from
Karius, Inc.(Redwood City, CA), detects and quantifies mcfDNA as molecules/μL in plasma.
The commercial sample data and results for all tests conducted from April 2018 through mid-
September 2021 were evaluated for laboratory quality metrics, reported pathogens, and …
Abstract
Microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing is an emerging infectious disease diagnostic tool which enables unbiased pathogen detection and quantification from plasma. The Karius Test, a commercial mcfDNA sequencing assay developed by and available since 2017 from Karius, Inc. (Redwood City, CA), detects and quantifies mcfDNA as molecules/μL in plasma. The commercial sample data and results for all tests conducted from April 2018 through mid-September 2021 were evaluated for laboratory quality metrics, reported pathogens, and data from test requisition forms. A total of 18,690 reports were generated from 15,165 patients in a hospital setting among 39 states and the District of Columbia. The median time from sample receipt to reported result was 26 h (interquartile range [IQR] 25 to 28), and 96% of samples had valid test results. Almost two-thirds (65%) of patients were adults, and 29% at the time of diagnostic testing had ICD-10 codes representing a diverse array of clinical scenarios. There were 10,752 (58%) reports that yielded at least one taxon for a total of 22,792 detections spanning 701 unique microbial taxa. The 50 most common taxa detected included 36 bacteria, 9 viruses, and 5 fungi. Opportunistic fungi (374 Aspergillus spp., 258 Pneumocystis jirovecii, 196 Mucorales, and 33 dematiaceous fungi) comprised 861 (4%) of all detections. Additional diagnostically challenging pathogens (247 zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens, 144 Mycobacterium spp., 80 Legionella spp., 78 systemic dimorphic fungi, 69 Nocardia spp., and 57 protozoan parasites) comprised 675 (3%) of all detections. This is the largest reported cohort of patients tested using plasma mcfDNA sequencing and represents the first report of a clinical grade metagenomic test performed at scale. Data reveal new insights into the breadth and complexity of potential pathogens identified.
American Society for Microbiology