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Diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children by a whole-blood transcriptional signature

Abstract:

Background. To identify a diagnostic blood transcriptomic signature that distinguishes multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) from Kawasaki disease (KD), bacterial infections, and viral infections.

Methods. Children presenting with MIS-C to participating hospitals in the United Kingdom and the European Union between April 2020 and April 2021 were prospectively recruited. Whole-blood RNA Sequencing was performed, contrasting the transcriptomes of children with MIS-C (n = 38) to those from children with KD (n = 136), definite bacterial (DB; n = 188) and viral infections (DV; n = 138). Genes significantly differentially expressed (SDE) between MIS-C and comparator groups were identified. Feature selection was used to identify genes that optimally distinguish MIS-C from other diseases, which were subsequently translated into RT-qPCR assays and evaluated in an independent validation set comprising MIS-C (n = 37), KD (n = 19), DB (n = 56), DV (n = 43), and COVID-19 (n = 39).

Results. In the discovery set, 5696 genes were SDE between MIS-C and combined comparator disease groups. Five genes were identified as potential MIS-C diagnostic biomarkers (HSPBAP1, VPS37C, TGFB1, MX2, and TRBV11-2), achieving an AUC of 96.8% (95% CI: 94.6%–98.9%) in the discovery set, and were translated into RT-qPCR assays. The RT-qPCR 5-gene signature achieved an AUC of 93.2% (95% CI: 88.3%–97.7%) in the independent validation set when distinguishing MIS-C from KD, DB, and DV.

Conclusions. MIS-C can be distinguished from KD, DB, and DV groups using a 5-gene blood RNA expression signature. The small number of genes in the signature and good performance in both discovery and validation sets should enable the development of a diagnostic test for MIS-C.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1093/jpids/piad035

Authors


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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-1054-9983
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-1020-7529

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Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Journal:
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society More from this journal
Volume:
12
Issue:
6
Pages:
322-331
Place of publication:
England
Publication date:
2023-05-31
Acceptance date:
2023-05-30
DOI:
EISSN:
2048-7207
ISSN:
2048-7193
Pmid:
37255317


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1355067
Local pid:
pubs:1355067
Deposit date:
2023-07-06

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