New application of the second generation gene sequencing of Huada Gene in the rapid detection of pathogens

Release date: 2017-09-01

Unexplained infections have always been a medical problem. In the TV series "Surgical Fengyun", doctors can only try treatment with experience when the pathogen is not detected.

Now, medical staff has a new weapon - based on the second-generation gene sequencing pathogen rapid detection technology. Since entering China, this technology has played a key role in the diagnosis of many patients with difficult infections. Among them, it includes a crew member from the Philippines.

Life and death speed, genetic technology "second sputum" pathogen

In mid-July of this year, a Filipino crew member of Tangshan Wanhang International Shipping Co., Ltd. departed from Tangshan. Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Huada Gene and the affiliated hospital of North China University of Technology jointly solved his problematic infection, enabling him to embark on a journey back home.

On June 2, the crew had symptoms of headache and hemiplegia on the left side of the boat. The cargo ship was docked near Tangshan. The patient first visited the local hospital in Caofeidian and then transferred to the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Technology.

The attending doctor Mao Wenjing recalled that when the patient came to the hospital, there was fever, the left pupil was dilated, the reflex was poor, the left arm was completely weak, and the consciousness was gradually lost. The situation was critical. The results of lumbar puncture showed that the patient's cerebrospinal fluid had high white blood cell content, low sugar content, and a yellowish liquid. "It feels like tuberculous meningoencephalitis." Dr. Mao said, "I will immediately put TB into medicinal use."

However, the hospital has not found tuberculosis using conventional methods, so it has been taking a conservative treatment plan using a variety of antibacterial drugs. On June 12, Professor Liu Bin, director of the Department of Neurology, invited Professor Guan Hongzhi from Peking Union Medical College Hospital to consult patients.

Prior to this, since 2014, the Neurology Department of the Union Hospital and the Huada Gene Research Institute have cooperated to conduct the second-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid in China for the screening of pathogens of central nervous system infectious diseases. Professor Guan Hongzhi is the person in charge of this project. He suggested: try the pathogen rapid test using the second-generation gene sequencing technology.

On the afternoon of June 22, Tianjin Huada Gene Delivery Pathogen Group received samples of patients' cerebrospinal fluid. This test generally takes 2-3 days. Due to the critical infection, Huada did an expedited treatment and completed the testing process in about 30 hours. On the evening of the 23rd, the test report was released and M. tuberculosis was detected in the sample.

After obtaining clear pathogen information, the hospital immediately adjusted the treatment plan, changed the conservative medication before the multi-pronged approach, and concentrated firepower to counterattack the tuberculosis. In mid-July, the patient's condition improved, he was discharged from the hospital and continued to fight anti-tuberculosis.

The treatment team and technical staff of the Filipino crew are from left to right: Huada Gene Tianjin delivered Li Yuan, Peking Union Medical College Hospital Guan Hongzhi, North China University of Technology Affiliated Hospital Liu Bin, Li Shiying, Mao Wenjing

Broad-spectrum pathogen detection, "10 years of indifference"

Now, the rapid detection of pathogens using second-generation sequencing technology is broader than traditional smear techniques and faster than pathogen culture. At the same time, the detection range of this technology is consistent with the size of the pathogen database, breaking through the limitations of the previous "suspicion of what, detect what" in the clinic, is a new weapon against unexplained infection.

Before the popularization of the second-generation sequencing technology, once the symptoms of atypical infections occur, it is often necessary to rely on the experience of medical personnel to conduct targeted examinations through smear, culture, etc., often causing illness delays. Guan Hongzhi said: "In the past, intracranial infection, there may be 50% of patients - even more patients, is unclear. If the experimental treatment is cured, it will be cured. If it is not cured..."

Guan Hongzhi said that a patient in Inner Mongolia has been suffering from headaches and fever since 2007. He has not been diagnosed in many hospitals during the past ten years. He has not been cured according to various infections. He often needs to rely on infusion to reduce intracranial pressure. pain.

Ten years later, the patient's treatment finally ushered in a turn. In December 2016, a number of units including Huada Gene and Xiehe Hospital launched a multi-center study on unexplained etiology of encephalitis meningitis. The hospital where the patient first visited was one of the centers, re-focusing on this “old” case. In May of this year, the patient's sample was sent to the Huada Gene for testing, and the result turned out to be cerebral cysticercosis. Concord Hospital conducted serological screening for cerebral cysticercosis and quickly confirmed the cause. Now, after symptomatic treatment, the patient has basically recovered.

"The second-generation sequencing method does not say what infection you suspect if you are infected. It will measure the nucleic acid in your cerebrospinal fluid, and then look at which bacteria and which viruses belong to which nucleic acids. Bugs." Guan Hongzhi said.

Tangshan Wanhang International Shipping Co., Ltd. presented the banner to the pathogen rapid inspection team (image courtesy of respondents)

The second generation of sequencing pathogens will help people's livelihood

Broader, faster, and more accurate, it is the advantage of the second-generation gene sequencing pathogen rapid detection technology. For example, BGI's technology can simultaneously detect more than 2,700 pathogenic microorganisms and parasites, as long as there are 100 to 1000 copies of nucleic acid fragments per ml of sample liquid, which can be detected, and the identified species accuracy is greater than 99%.

Huada Gene is one of the first units in China to use path sequencing technology for pathogen detection. As early as 2003, Huada Gene cooperated with relevant units to complete the genome sequencing of the first SARS virus in China, and donated 300,000 copies of its own SARS virus diagnostic kit to the National Atypical Pneumonia Command.

The use of gene sequencing technology for rapid detection of pathogens requires not only a certain sequencing capability, but also complete pathogen database construction, algorithm matching and analytical computing capabilities, and the ability to accurately interpret. This technology has matured abroad, and related research projects have been carried out in China, and “technical science” and the entire industry are justified.

Li Yuan, from Tianjin Huada Gene Delivery Group, said: “Today, 1276 cases have been tested clinically, and the units submitted for inspection are mainly concentrated in Beijing and Shanghai.” Statistics show that more than 80% of the samples received by Huada are from Beijing hospitals. . These hospitals first came into contact with this technology from all aspects and applied it to the right patients.

However, Guan Hongzhi analyzed that the most in need of this technology may be non-top three hospitals in third- and fourth-tier cities, which have lower ability to detect pathogens by traditional methods. The low-cost, broad-spectrum and high-efficiency second-generation sequencing pathogen detection technology can reduce the “toss” caused by the ineffective experience of unidentified infections, and can effectively reduce the burden of diagnosis, patient, and doctor-patient relationship, and has important people's livelihood and Social Significance.

Source: Medical Valley

Liquid Injection

Tetanus Shot,Tetanus Vaccine,Hepatitis B Injection,Hep B Vaccine

FOSHAN PHARMA CO., LTD. , https://www.fospharma.com