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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the accuracy of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) osteoarticular infection (OAI) and compare it with mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture. METHODS: This study was conducted on 193 patients with suspected NTM OAI treated from January 2019 to July 2022 at the Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Yantai Qishan Hospital, or The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning who had mNGS assay and MGIT culture results. Clinical comprehensive diagnosis was taken as the "gold standard." We investigated the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio of these tests. RESULTS: Of the 193 patients, 26 (13.47%) were diagnosed with NTM OAI, and 167 (86.53%) had non-NTM OAI. Compared to the MGIT culture results, mNGS showed higher sensitivity (100.0% vs 7.7%), specificity (99.4% vs 80.2%), positive predictive value (96.3% vs 5.7%), negative predictive value (100.0% vs 84.8%), positive likelihood ratio (167.000 vs 0.389), and negative likelihood ratio (0.000 vs 1.150). The area under the curve of the mNGS assay was 0.997 (95% confidence interval, 0.990-1.000). CONCLUSION: The mNGS assay had greater diagnostic accuracy than the MGIT culture in patients with suspected NTM OAI.
Wang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.