The Value of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing and T Lymphocyte Subpopulation Analysis in Distinguishing Colonization from Infection of Acinetobacter baumannii and Their Correlation
Abstract：Objective: This study aims to distinguish colonization from infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), a key pathogen of hospital-acquired infections that is resistant to most common antibiotics, by combining metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) with T lymphocyte analysis, and to explore the correlation between the two, providing reference for clinical treatment. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 67 patients who had Acinetobacter baumannii detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) through mNGS at Shenzhen No. 2 People's Hospital between January 2021 and June 2024, with complete clinical data. According to bacterial colonization status, the patients were divided into an infection group (30 cases) and a colonization group (37 cases). General information, white blood cell count, neutrophil ratio, mNGS sequence number, T lymphocyte subpopulation lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were compared between the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of mNGS sequences in distinguishing AB infection from colonization. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between mNGS sequences and T lymphocyte subpopulations. Results: The proportion of patients using glucocorticoids was higher in the AB infection group than in the colonization group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in PCT levels, T lymphocyte subpopulation levels, and mNGS sequence numbers between the two groups (P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff value for mNGS sequences in distinguishing infection from colonization was 17,622. mNGS sequence numbers showed a negative correlation with CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ levels in T lymphocyte subpopulations. Conclusion: Factors such as glucocorticoid use, PCT levels, T lymphocyte subpopulations, and mNGS sequence numbers have some value in distinguishing AB infection from colonization.
Keywords：Acinetobacter baumanniimetagenomic next-generation sequencingT lymphocytesinfectioncolonization
Publication Date：2025-05-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 70-72,84,后插11 )