Risk factors of in-hospital mortality in patients with pneumocystis pneumonia diagnosed by metagenomics next-generation sequencing

OBJECTIVES: The metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test is useful for rapid and accurate detection and identification of pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with in-hospital mortality in pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) patients with mNGS-assisted diagnosis. METHODS: Our study enrolled 154 patients with mNGS-positive PCP from August 2018 to February 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University respectively. Patients were divided into the survivor group (n=98) and the death group (n=56) according to whether in-hospital death occurred. Baseline characteristics, patients’ pre-hospital symptoms and patients’ CT imaging performance during hospitalization were carefully compared between the two groups. Risk factors for the occurrence of in-hospital death were sought by selecting indicators that were significantly different between the two groups for modelling and performing multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the in-hospital death patients, the survivors were younger and had higher levels of albumin (ALB) (age: 50.29 ± 14.63 years vs 59.39 ± 12.27 years, p<0.001; ALB: 32.24 ± 5.62 g/L vs 29.34 ± 5.42g/L, p=0.002; respectively), while the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C-reactive protein CRP were lower (LDH: 574.67 ± 421.24 U/L vs 960.80 ± 714.94 U/L, p=0.001; CRP: 54.97 ± 55.92 mg/L vs80.45 ± 73.26 mg/L, p=0.018; respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, the baseline LDH and CRP levels were all positively associated with high in-hospital mortality [age: OR(95%CI): 1.115 (1.062-1.172), p<0.001; LDH: OR(95%CI): 1.002 (1.001-1.003), p<0.001; CRP: OR(95%CI): 1.008 (1.000-1.017), p=0.045; respectively] while the platelet counts was negatively associated with it [OR(95%CI): 0.986 (0.979-0.992), p<0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Old age, high baseline levels of LDH and CRP and low platelet counts were risk factors of the in-hospital mortality in mNGS positive PCP patients.