A liquid biopsy that avoids diagnostic impasse for life-threatening infections
Infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients.
Clinical Care
The main clinical application for the Karius Test is to help physicians diagnose infections in immunocompromised patients. The test helps diagnose pneumonia, invasive fungal infections, culture-negative endocarditis, opportunistic infections, and infectious causes of neutrophenic fever.
Lab Services
The Karius Test provides you and your clinical team with the ability to use only a single blood draw to rapidly, and with high accuracy, detect more than 1000 clinically relevant pathogens.
A Rapid Liquid Biopsy for Infectious Disease
The Karius Test is a liquid biopsy that can non-invasively and rapidly detect over 1000 pathogens causing both deep-seated and bloodstream infections from a single blood sample. The Karius Test helps clinicians avoid invasive, low-yield, and sequential diagnostic tests that can delay treatment for the most vulnerable hospitalized patients.
The main clinical application for the Karius Test is to help physicians diagnose infections in immunocompromised patients
The Karius Test improves diagnosis and management of life-threatening infections
Reduce complications from invasive procedures with 1 blood sample
The Karius Test requires 1 single blood draw to reveal information-rich, microbial cell-free DNA, potentially avoiding 63% of invasive diagnostic procedures.1
Speed up diagnosis of infections with a 1-day turnaround time
The Karius Test results typically report the next day after sample receipt, compared to standard methods, which can take days or weeks to yield results.
Optimize antimicrobial treatment
The Karius Test results have led to a change in antimicrobial management in 59%-75% of cases.2, 3
Testing Process
From blood sample to report, the Karius Test Process typically offers next day turnaround service.
Clinical and Analytical Validation
Multiple published studies demonstrate the efficacy and clinical impact of the Karius Test.
Frequently Asked Questions
From clinical situations to sample collection to interpretation of results, find more specific information about Karius and Karius Test.
Improve the diagnosis of life-threatening infections
The Karius Test has demonstrated higher diagnostic yield than the standard of care diagnostic tests in multiple studies.
Karius Test diagnostic yield
71%-92%
SOC diagnostic yield
7%-79%
| Use Case | Patient Population | Karius Yield | SOC Yield | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Febrile neutropenia | 55 adult patients with leukemia | 85% | 42% | Benamu E et al. Clin Infect Dis. Published online April 19, 2021. Epub ahead of print. |
| Prolonged/persistent fever, or imaging susoicious of infection | 31 adult patients with hematologic malignancy +/-BMT | 80% | 35% | Yu J et al. Transplant Cell Ther. Published online February 26, 2021. Epub ahead of print. |
| Focal/systemic infections | 79 pediatric patients (76% immunocompromised | 92% (63% invasive) | 79% (48% invasive) | Rosoff J et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(8) |
| Febrile neutropenia, pneumonia, or intra-abdominal infection | 10 adults with chemotherapy or transplant | 80% | 60% | Camargo JF et al. F1000Res. 2019 Jul 26;8:1194 |
| Invasive infections / FUO / FN / culture-negative endocarditis | 167 adult patients (36% immunocompromised) | 71% | 7% (Blood Culture only) | Francisco D et al. IDWeek Online 2020, October 22-25, 2020 |
| Focal/systemic infections (Retrospective analysis of use) | 110 Pediatric patients | 74% | 53% | Wilke J et al. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2021;21:552 |
| Complicated community acquired pneumonia | 46 pediatric patients | 89% | 26% | Dworsky ZD, et al. Hosp Pediatr. 2022 Mar 2:e2021006361. |
| Infective endocarditis | 10 pediatric patients | 80% | 30% (Blood Culture) / 50% (All) | To RK et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2021;40(5):486-488 |
Karius Test Process
Karius Test reports are typically available 1 day after specimen receipt*
The Karius laboratory is CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited to perform high-complexity clinical laboratory testing
*>85% of specimens received by 8:30 AM (PT) Monday through Saturday are reported the next day
SPECIMEN COLLECTION
5-mL standard blood draw in plasma preparation tube
SPECIMEN PROCESSING
DNA extraction and library preparation
SEQUENCING
Microbial cell-free DNA sequencing
ANALYSIS
Curated clinical-grade pathogen database
Consultations are available with Karius infectious disease physicians and clinical microbiologists.
Ordering the Karius Test
The Karius Test is a send-out test that can be ordered by hospital clinicians. The patient's blood sample is collected at the hospital and shipped to the Karius laboratory overnight.
The kit includes:
- Plasma preparation tube
- Shipping materials
- FedEx® Pak with preprinted label to Karius
1. Rossoff J et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(8); 2. Francisco D et al. IDWeekOnline 2020, October 22-25, 2020; 3. Yu J et al. Transplant Cell Ther. Published online February 26, 2021.
