[Pathogen analysis in patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing]

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Genomics

Background:

• Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) is a severe complication of diabetes, often involving polymicrobial infections.
• Accurate identification of causative pathogens is crucial for effective treatment and preventing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize pathogenic microorganisms in DFO bone tissues using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing.
• To compare the efficacy of 16S rRNA sequencing with traditional culture methods for pathogen detection in DFO.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was performed on infected bone specimens from 16 DFO patients.
• Results were compared with those obtained from automatic blood culture analysis.

Main Results:

• 16S rRNA sequencing revealed diverse and uniformly distributed pathogens, with Prevotella being the most abundant.
• The sequencing method demonstrated a higher detection rate (100% vs. 88.24%) and identified more pathogens (average 12.56 vs. 1.50) compared to routine culture.
• 16S rRNA sequencing successfully identified anaerobic bacteria, which were missed by routine culture, and detected multidrug-resistant strains.

Conclusions:

• 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing provides a detailed profile of microflora in DFO bone tissues.
• This method offers superior convenience and accuracy for identifying pathogens, particularly gram-negative bacteria and anaerobes, compared to routine culture.
• Findings support the use of 16S rRNA sequencing in clinical decision-making for DFO treatment.