131. Development and performance evaluation of a clinical metagenomics approach for identifying pathogens in the whole blood from patients with undifferentiated feverJan Slunečko, Rok Kogoj, Samo Zakotnik, Alen Suljič, Nataša Knap, Martin Bosilj, Franc Strle, Tatjana Avšič-Županc, Petra Bogovič, Miša Korva, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction: Blood culture is the cornerstone of microbiological diagnostics for patients with acute undifferentiated fever and no obvious localization of infection; however, up to 50% of cases remain undiagnosed. Infections caused by arboviruses, fastidious or even uncultivable bacteria, or parasites often go undiagnosed without the use of target-specific molecular methods. These are typically performed in a stepwise manner, increasing cost and delaying results. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has recently gained recognition as a potential universal pathogen detection tool for such cases. Our study aimed to develop a streamlined mNGS workflow for simultaneous detection of intracellular and cell-free pathogens within a single sequencing library. Methods: Total nucleic acid was isolated separately from 200 EDTA blood samples. The plasma isolate was processed with DNase, followed by the depletion of host ribosomal and messenger RNA, reverse transcription, and sequence-independent single primer amplification (SISPA). The whole blood isolate was only reverse transcribed, with no other pre-processing manipulation. Finally, the two fractions were combined prior to library preparation and sequencing using either Oxford Nanopore Technologies or Illumina. Following established bioinformatics analysis, we developed a mathematical ranking approach (ClinSeq score) that enabled quick identification of relevant pathogens in approximately one hour. Results: The mNGS workflow reached 79.5% (159/200) overall sensitivity. For bacteria the sensitivity was 88.6% (70/79), DNA viruses, 66.7% (10/15) and for RNA viruses 73.8% (76/103). Pathogen detections by individual sequencing methods showed overall sensitivity of Illumina and ONT to be 80.0% (76/95) and 79.1% (83/105) respectively. The ClinSeq score correctly highlighted the pathogen in 126/200 (63.0%) samples effectively with a Cohen’s kappa (κ) agreement of 0.61 with manual analysis. Conclusion: Developed comprehensive mNGS workflow detects a wide range of pathogens in patients with acute undifferentiated fever. The unified workflow improves sensitivity for intracellular bacteria and RNA viruses, reduces time, cost and complexity by eliminating the need for separate library preparations, enabling faster turnaround suitable for clinical settings. The ClinSeq score effectively differentiates true pathogen signals from background noise, reducing false positives and manual interpretation time. Overall, the workflow demonstrates flexible, and efficient pathogen detection, supporting its potential for clinical diagnostics and improved patient management.
Keywords: mNGS, clinical metagenomics, molecular diagnostics, universal pathogen detection, enhanced RNA virus detection
Published in DiRROS: 09.12.2025; Views: 114; Downloads: 57
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138. The coenzyme Q10 content of food supplementsIgor Pravst, Katja Žmitek, 2011, original scientific article Abstract: In the European Union (EU), food supplements are regulated as food and their use is expanding rapidly. There is no enforcement to ensure that good manufacturing practices (GMPs) are followed during production but manufacturers are fully responsible for their products. Recently, the safety and quality of supplements available in the market has come into question. In our surveillance, we examined coenzyme Q10 content of 58 food supplements available in three EU member states or from Internet stores using high-performance liquid chromatography methodology. While some of the tested supplements contained almost exactly the same quantity of active ingredient as labelled, one-third of the products contained <70% of the labelled content. In the food supplements obtained online the medium content was lower than in the products purchased in pharmacies. To protect the consumer and assure the safety and quality of products, the market authorities need to exert better control. In addition, it would make sense to enforce additional requirements to ensure GMPs are followed in the manufacturing process of food supplements.
Keywords: hranljivost, prehrambeni dodatki, kvaliteta, CoQ10, Belgija, Slovenija, Španija
Published in DiRROS: 09.12.2025; Views: 159; Downloads: 47
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139. Minimum expectations for market authorization of continuous glucose monitoring devices in Europe—‘eCGM’ compliance statusChantal Mathieu, Concetta Irace, Emma G. Wilmot, Bassil Akra, Stefano Del Prato, Martin Cuesta, Tadej Battelino, 2025, other scientific articles Keywords: continuous glucose monitoring, devices, market authorization, eCGM'compliance status
Published in DiRROS: 09.12.2025; Views: 77; Downloads: 36
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140. Polygenic score from MODY genes is associated with type 1 diabetes and disease characteristicsEulalia Catamo, Andrea Conti, Roberto Franceschi, Klemen Dovč, Camilla Morosini, Davide Tinti, Tadej Battelino, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Aims: This study evaluates the contribution of common variants in Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) genes on type 1 diabetes (T1D), using a polygenic score (PGS) approach. Methods: 485 children and youth diagnosed with T1D from at least 1 year and 271 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Personal information (i.e. age, sex, height, weight) were collected for each participant, and clinical information (i.e. age at diagnosis, disease duration, presence of autoantibodies and ketoacidosis at onset (DKA)) were also obtained for T1D subjects. Participants were genotyped using Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. PGS based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in 16 MODY genes were developed. The association of this PGS with T1D susceptibility and clinical disease characteristics was assessed by regression analysis. Results: A PGS including 335 SNPs in MODY genes discriminates T1D from HC (AUC = 60.1%, AIC = 787.6). This PGS was significantly higher in T1D compared to HC (p-value = 0.0004, pseudo-R2 = 2.85%). Moreover, regression analysis between PGS and T1D clinical characteristics showed higher PGS values in T1D subjects with zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies (ZnT8A) compared with T1D subjects without ZnT8A (p-value = 0.04). A similar trend was also observed for antibodies directed against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), although the association did not reach statistical significance (p-value = 0.06). Conclusions: Our study suggests that a polygenic approach based on MODY genes may discriminate T1D from HC and may contribute to patient stratification, helping to better understand T1D heterogeneity.
Keywords: type 1 diabetes, MODY, polygenic score, autoantibody
Published in DiRROS: 09.12.2025; Views: 90; Downloads: 42
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