Pathogens in patients with granulomatous lobular mastitis

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a rare inflammatory breast condition.
• GLM clinically resembles breast cancer, necessitating accurate diagnosis.
• The precise causes of GLM remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the bacteriology of GLM.
• To utilize advanced detection technology for microbial analysis in GLM.
• To identify the spectrum of pathogens associated with GLM.

Main Methods:

• Collected paraffin-embedded breast tissue samples from GLM patients.
• Extracted DNA from tissue samples for analysis.
• Employed next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics for pathogen identification.

Main Results:

• Pathogens were detected in 97.5% of the 40 GLM patients studied.
• Identified bacteria, fungi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.
• Multiple pathogens were found in 76.9% of cases, highlighting polymicrobial infections.

Conclusions:

• NGS technology effectively profiled the microbiota in GLM patients.
• Findings provide valuable insights into the microbial landscape of GLM.
• This research supports improved patient treatment planning for GLM.