Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from children with severe pneumonia in pediatric intensive care unit

Severe pneumonia is a leading cause of child mortality. This study used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 126 children with severe pneumonia in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to identify potential pathogens. mNGS detected various pathogenic bacteria, viruses (including Epstein-Barr virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Human betaherpesvirus 6B), and fungi (including Pneumocystis jirovecii and Aspergillus fumigatus). Increased BALF microbial diversity correlated with inflammatory markers and lymphocyte subtypes. Viral co-infections were linked to immunodeficiency and pneumonia severity, while fungal and protozoan diversity correlated with mortality and sepsis.

Caiyan Zhang, Tingyan Liu, Yixue Wang, Weiming Chen, Jing Liu, Jinhao Tao, Zhengzheng Zhang, Xuemei Zhu, Zhenyu Zhang, Meixiu Ming, Mingbang Wang, Guoping Lu, Gangfeng Yan