A diagnostic host-specific transcriptome response for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to guide pediatric patient treatment

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Viz-Lasheras, S ORCID: 0000-0001-5873-5104, Gómez-Carballa, A ORCID: 0000-0003-0927-1272, Bello, X ORCID: 0000-0002-4990-8496, Rivero-Calle, I, Dacosta, AI ORCID: 0000-0002-8803-957X, Kaforou, M ORCID: 0000-0001-9878-4007, Habgood-Coote, D ORCID: 0000-0001-5501-0335, Cunnington, AJ ORCID: 0000-0002-1305-3529, Emonts, M, Herberg, JA et al (show 23 more authors) , Wright, VJ ORCID: 0000-0001-7826-1516, Carrol, ED ORCID: 0000-0001-8357-7726, Paulus, SC, Zenz, W, Kohlfürst, DS, Schweintzger, N ORCID: 0000-0003-2549-5911, Van der Flier, M, de Groot, R, Schlapbach, LJ, Agyeman, P ORCID: 0000-0002-8339-5444, Pollard, AJ ORCID: 0000-0001-7361-719X, Fink, C ORCID: 0000-0002-8008-5870, Kuijpers, TT, Anderson, S, Von Both, U ORCID: 0000-0001-8411-1071, Pokorn, M ORCID: 0000-0002-2341-2791, Zavadska, D, Tsolia, M, Moll, HA, Vermont, C, Levin, M ORCID: 0000-0003-2767-6919, Martinón-Torres, F ORCID: 0000-0002-9023-581X and Salas, A ORCID: 0000-0002-2336-702X (2025) A diagnostic host-specific transcriptome response for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia to guide pediatric patient treatment Nature Communications, 16 (1). 673-. ISSN 2041-1723, 2041-1723

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Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes atypical pneumonia in children and young adults. Its lack of a cell wall makes it resistant to beta-lactams, which are the first-line treatment for typical pneumonia. Current diagnostic tests are time-consuming and have low specificity, leading clinicians to administer empirical antibiotics. Using a LASSO regression simulation approach and blood microarray data from 107 children with pneumonia (including 30 M. pneumoniae) we identify eight different transcriptomic signatures, ranging from 3-10 transcripts, that differentiate mycoplasma pneumonia from other bacterial/viral pneumonias with high accuracy (AUC: 0.84–0.95). Additionally, we demonstrate that existing signatures for broadly distinguishing viral/bacterial infections and viral/bacterial pneumonias are ineffective in distinguishing M. pneumoniae from viral pneumonia. The new signatures are successfully validated in an independent RNAseq cohort of children with pneumonia, demonstrating their robustness. The high sensibility of these signatures presents a valuable opportunity to guide the treatment and management of M. pneumoniae pneumonia patients.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	EUCLIDS, PERFORM, and DIAMONDS consortia, Humans, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Pneumonia, Mycoplasma, Pneumonia, Viral, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Gene Expression Profiling, Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Infant, Female, Male, Transcriptome
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	17 Mar 2025 09:32
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2026 20:48
DOI:	10.1038/s41467-025-55932-9
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3190841
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