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Microbiome Profiling Reveals Prognostic Heterogeneity in Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia
By Kitsios GD, Sy MA, Bain WG and 11 others.
Abstract
Background
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of severe pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. Clinical cultures identify pathogen presence but may not reflect lower respiratory tract microbial ecology. Whether culture-confirmed S. aureus pneumonia encompasses compositional heterogeneity with prognostic implications remains unknown.
Methods
We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun nanopore metagenomics on endotracheal aspirate samples from mechanically ventilated patients with culture-confirmed S. aureus pneumonia in a prospective ICU registry. We quantified Staphylococcus abundance, assessed correlations with culture characteristics and host inflammatory biomarkers, and examined associations with 60-day mortality using Kaplan-Meier and Cox hazards analyses.
