Metagenomic next‐generation sequencing for the diagnosis of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia and evaluate the diagnostic value of Metagenomic Next‐Generation Sequencing (mNGS). A total of 44 patients diagnosed with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia using mNGS were retrospectively analysed. The demographic and clinical features, laboratory data, imaging findings and clinical outcomes were collected. Results showed that 65.91% of the patients had a history of exposure to poultry or birds. All patients presented with fever. Apart from systemic and respiratory symptoms, some patients also presented with digestive and neurological symptoms. Respiratory failure was common among patients. The key laboratory tests were normal white blood cell counts, slightly elevated PCT, changes in levels of cardiac enzymes, liver enzymes and hyponatremia. Chest imaging revealed that most of the lesions contained patchy exudation or lobar consolidation of one lobe, especially in the lower lobe. Consolidation of both lungs was seen in critically ill patients. Although quinolones were effective in most patients, tetracyclines should be the first choice of treatment. The overall prognosis was good; however, patients who developed severe pneumonia had poor prognosis. The incidence of chlamydia psittaci pneumonia may be underestimated due to the nonspecific clinical manifestations and lack of confirmatory testing methods. The use of mNGS has increased the number of patients diagnosed with chlamydia psittaci pneumonia. mNGS is an effective diagnostic method for chlamydia psittaci pneumonia.

Clinical features and risk factors of liver injury in patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia- a retrospective analysis

“…Our results illustrated that the incidence of abnormal liver function and liver injury in patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia who were admitted to our center was high, namely, 84.8% of patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia had higher levels of ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, and TB at initial diagnosis, among which an elevated AST level was the most common. Similar to previous results, an elevated AST level was more common than an elevated ALT level ( Su et al., 2021 ; Li et al., 2022 ; Yin et al., 2022 ). A retrospective study including 52 patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia conducted by Li et al.…”

Case report: A clinical case study of six patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia

“…However, the late intervention of mNGS led to a delayed diagnosis, with a time from symptom onset to diagnosis of approximately two weeks. In recent years, retaining respiratory specimens for mNGS testing has been highly recommended for patients with respiratory infections if the pathogen is not clearly defined by routine laboratory tests within three days, and empirical anti-infective therapy is ineffective (Li et al, 2022).…”

Gestational psittacosis causes severe pneumonia and miscarriage: A case report and literature review

“…Hu Li et al. discovered that psittacosis was detected using BALF, blood, and sputum samples, with the greatest sequence number in BALF, the second-highest sequence number in sputum, and the lowest sequence number in blood samples [24] . Sputum samples, followed by blood, are recommended for diagnosis by mNGS in patients who cannot undergo bronchoscopy since the blood specimen used in this case had a sequence number of just 2.…”