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(The Gist of Science Reporter) New Blood-based Biomarker to Distinguish between Bacterial and Viral Infections

(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) New Blood-based Biomarker to Distinguish between Bacterial and Viral Infections

A recent study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has identified a set of molecular biomarkers that can be used in the differential diagnosis of acute bacterial and viral infections.
These biomarkers are different messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules found in the blood; differences in their levels can detect and predict with high probability if an infection is viral or bacterial.

Highlights:

A quick method to detect acute viral and bacterial infections and distinguish between them can be immensely useful in the clinic, as an accurate diagnosis will win half the battle and guide the clinician towards the optimal treatment path.
It will also prevent the rise of such antimicrobial resistance.
A transcriptome is a full set of mRNA molecules expressed by a biological cell, which is measured using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies.
During an infection, there are specific genes that get turned on and these, in turn, lead to higher amounts of specific mRNAs and ultimately higher amounts of the corresponding proteins.
To make it useful in the clinic, the researchers devised a standalone score called VB10, which could be used for diagnosis, monitoring the stage of recovery after infection, and estimating the severity of the infection.
VB₁₀ accurately indicated whether a given blood sample had a bacterial or viral infection, across different bacteria and viruses and different age groups.