Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Jun 2024)

No evidence on infectious DNA-based agents in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing

  • Amadeus T. Heinz,
  • Amadeus T. Heinz,
  • Silke Grumaz,
  • Christoph Slavetinsky,
  • Michaela Döring,
  • Manon Queudeville,
  • Rupert Handgretinger,
  • Martin Ebinger

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1355787
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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The etiology of pediatric acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) is still unclear. Whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing of bone marrow samples in patients with treatment-naïve ALL (n=6) was performed for untargeted investigation of bacterial and viral DNA. The control group consisted of healthy children (n=4) and children with non-oncologic diseases (n=2) undergoing bone marrow sampling. Peripheral blood of all participants was investigated at the same time. After bioinformatical elimination of potential contaminants by comparison with the employed controls, no significant amounts of microbial or viral DNA were identified.

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