Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 26, 2021; 9(21): 6067-6072
Published online Jul 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i21.6067
Usefulness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in adenovirus 7-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome: A case report
Xiao-Juan Zhang, Jia-Yin Zheng, Xin Li, Ying-Jian Liang, Zhi-Dan Zhang
Xiao-Juan Zhang, Jia-Yin Zheng, Ying-Jian Liang, Department of Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China
Xin Li, Zhi-Dan Zhang, Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: Zheng JY, Li X, and Liang YJ designed the study, collected and analyzed the data; Zhang XJ and Zhang ZD drafted the article; Zhang ZD revised and submitted the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final version of manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the editor of this journal.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no competing interests to declare.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhi-Dan Zhang, MD, Doctor, Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China. 13998318999@163.com
Received: March 18, 2021
Peer-review started: March 18, 2021
First decision: April 14, 2021
Revised: April 26, 2021
Accepted: May 7, 2021
Article in press: May 7, 2021
Published online: July 26, 2021
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Direct metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of clinical samples is an effective method for the molecular diagnosis of infection. However, its role in the diagnosis of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of an unknown infectious etiology remains unclear.

CASE SUMMARY

A 33-year-old man was admitted to our center for a cough and febrile sensation. Shortly after admission, the patient was diagnosed with ARDS and treated in the intensive care unit. Subsequently, chest computed tomography features suggested an infection. mNGS was performed and the results were indicative of an infection caused by adenovirus type 7. The patient recovered after receiving appropriate treatment.

CONCLUSION

mNGS is a promising tool for the diagnosis of ARDS caused by infectious agents. However, further studies are required to develop strategies for incorporating mNGS into the current diagnostic process for the disease.

Keywords: Acute respiratory distress syndrome, Metagenomic next-generation sequencing, Adenovirus, Case report

Core Tip: Direct metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), is useful for infection diagnosis, and has potential for the diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of unknown infectious etiology. This case report describes the successful use of mNGS for the diagnosis of a patient with ARDS. At his first presentation, the patient was suspected of having an infection based on the results of chest computed tomography. mNGS indicated an infection by adenovirus type 7. The patient recovered with the appropriate treatment. This case highlights the usefulness of mNGS for the diagnosis of ARDS caused by infectious agents.