Value of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Clinical Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for rapid diagnosis of diseases caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). We retrospectively reviewed four NTM-infected cases diagnosed by smear microscopy, mycobacterial culture and mNGS methods. We found that the mNGS method not only had a shorter detection turnaround time (3–4 days) than Mycobacterium culture (15–20 days) but also had higher sensitivity and specificity to identify NTM compared with conventional detection methods. In addition, mNGS was able to identify coinfections by NTM and other bacteria, fungi or viruses. Overall, diagnosis of NTM by mNGS can provide timely and precise guidance for subsequent clinical treatment of NTM infections.