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

## TL;DR

This study used DNA sequencing to check for infectious agents in children with leukemia but found no evidence of them.

## Contribution

The study is the first to use whole metagenome shotgun sequencing to investigate infectious DNA-based agents in pediatric ALL.

## Key findings

- No significant microbial or viral DNA was found in ALL patients' bone marrow samples.
- Peripheral blood samples also showed no evidence of infectious agents.
- Contaminants were bioinformatically filtered using control samples.

## Abstract

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.