We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

BECKMAN COULTER, INC.

Beckman Coulter develops, manufactures and markets laboratory systems, reagents, centrifugation, lab automation, elec... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Nanopore Sequencing Detect Pathogens in Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infection

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 05 Jan 2023

The number of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is currently increasing substantially, and it is expected to increase more than two times in the next decade worldwide. More...

With the increasing number of TKA, the number of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) is also increasing, and PJI is currently regarded as the most common etiology for revision TKA.

Identification of the infecting pathogen is critical to the successful management of PJI. Currently, microbial culture is the principal diagnostic test for determining the infecting microorganism. Due to the insidious onset of PJI, early and accurate diagnosis is crucial; late diagnosis is known to decrease the chance of saving the prosthesis and the joint function, leading to more bone destruction and difficulty in revision surgery.

Orthopaedic Surgeons at the Seoul National University College of Medicine (Seoul, South Korea) and their colleagues enrolled in a study, 36 patients who had clinical manifestation suspected of PJI. Synovial fluids were aspirated from the affected knee using aseptic technique and tissues specimens were obtained during the surgery. Fluid samples were aspirated from the affected knee of each patient and inoculated separately into conical tube, aerobic and anaerobic BACT/ALERT® culture bottles (bioMérieux, Durham, NC, USA).

Bacterial identification from culture isolates was performed using MicroScan (Beckman Coulter, Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA) for Gram-positive bacteria and the VITEK2 system (bioMérieux, Inc.) for Gram-negative bacteria. The DNA was extracted from the aspirated fluid samples or intraoperative tissue specimens. The full-length 16S rDNA (∼1500 bp) PCR was performed using the Bacterial 16S rDNA PCR Kit (Takara, Tokyo, Japan) for each sample. When the 16S rDNA PCR result was positive nanopore amplicon sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK) was then performed for up to 3 hours. The results of amplicon sequencing were compared to those of conventional culture studies.

The investigators reported that of the 36 patients enrolled, 22 were classified as true infections according to the MSIS criteria whereas 14 were considered uninfected. Among the 22 PJI cases, 19 cases were culture positive (CP-PJI) while three cases were culture negative (CN-PJI). In 14 of 19 (73.7 %) CP- PJI cases, 16S sequencing identified concordant bacteria with conventional culture studies with a significantly shorter turnaround time. In some cases, nanopore 16S sequencing was superior to culture studies in the species-level identification of pathogen and detection of polymicrobial infections. Altogether, in the majority of PJI candidate patients (32 of 36, 88.9 %), 16S sequencing achieved identical results to cultures studies with a significantly reduced turnaround time (100.9 ± 32.5 hours versus 10.8 ± 7.7 hours).

The authors concluded that Nanopore 16S sequencing was found to be particularly useful for pathogen identification in knee PJI. Although the sensitivity was not superior to culture studies, the nanopore 16S sequencing was much faster and species-level identification and detection of polymicrobial infections were superior to culture studies. The study was published in the December 2022 issue of the International Journal of Medical Microbiology.

Related Links:
Seoul National University College of Medicine
bioMérieux
Beckman Coulter
Takara
Oxford Nanopore Technologies 


Gold Member
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Human Estradiol Assay
Human Estradiol CLIA Kit
New
Autoimmune Liver Diseases Assay
Microblot-Array Liver Profile Kit
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Over 100 new epigenetic biomarkers may help predict cardiovascular disease risk (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Routine Blood Draws Could Detect Epigenetic Biomarkers for Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, yet predicting individual risk remains a persistent challenge. Traditional risk factors, while useful, do not fully capture biological changes... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.