Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39901264›Full record

SynthesisCritical care (London, England)2025

Consistency between metagenomic next-generation sequencing versus traditional microbiological tests for infective disease: systemic review and meta-analysis.

Chengxi Liu, Xiao Song, Jihai Liu, Liang Zong, Tao Xu, Xu Han, Fan Li, Bo Li, Huadong Zhu, Di Shi

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Critical care (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing 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

12 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Clinical utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in precision diagnosis of infectious diseases: a retrospective study based on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. The novel biomarker tCritical care (London, England) · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
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

10 authors.

Chengxi Liu *Emergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Xiao Song *Emergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Jihai LiuEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Liang ZongEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Tao XuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Bejing, China.
Xu HanEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Fan LiEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Bo LiEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Huadong ZhuEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. zhuhuadong1970@126.com.
Di ShiEmergency Department, The State Key Laboratory for Complex, Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. sddidizy@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPathogen identification is essential in sepsis and septic shock. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a novel pathogen detection method with several advantages over traditional tests. However, the consistency between mNGS and traditional pathogen tests requires further investigation.

objectivesWe aimed to assess the consistency between mNGS and traditional pathogen tests and to identify the factors influencing this consistency.

methodsThis systematic review and meta-analysis involved a comprehensive search of mNGS and traditional pathogen tests in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Data from included studies were extracted, and kappa consistency between mNGS and traditional tests was calculated. Study quality was evaluated using the QUADAS-2 tool.

resultsThe search identified 415 studies, of which 27 were included in the analysis, involving 4112 individuals. Meta-analysis showed a pooled consistency of 0.319 ± 0.013 (p < 0.001), indicating a moderate relationship. In terms of sample type, cerebrospinal fluid showed the highest pooled kappa consistency at 0.500 ± 0.029 (p < 0.001). Immunocompromised patients had a lower pooled kappa consistency of 0.294 ± 0.014 (p < 0.001) compared to 0.321 ± 0.028 (p < 0.001) in immunocompetent patients. Positive percent agreement of mNGS was 83.63% over traditional microbiological test, and negative percent agreement was 54.59%.

conclusionThis review demonstrates a moderate relationship between mNGS and traditional pathogen tests, indicating a complex relationship between these two methods. Sterile samples show higher consistency than non-sterile samples. Immune function deficiency may reduce the consistency between mNGS and traditional tests. Further research is needed on the use of mNGS in sepsis and septic shock.

Indexed as

Communicable DiseasesHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingMetagenomicsMicrobiological TechniquesHumansImmunocompromisedKappa consistencymNGS

Identifiers

PMID39901264
PMCPMC11789377

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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 Socratic graph.