Drug resistance and pathogenic spectrum of patients coinfected with nontuberculous mycobacteria and human-immunodeficiency virus in Chengdu, China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Human-immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is increasing worldwide and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is an established microbiologic cause of pulmonary disease, lymphadenitis, and disseminated disease in cases of advanced immune suppression. Data on patients coinfected with HIV and NTM are limited. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, drug resistance, and pathogen spectrum of patients coinfected with both HIV and NTM in the Chengdu area of China.@*Methods@#Data of 59 patients coinfected with both HIV and NTM collected from the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu, between January 2014 and December 2018, were analyzed. NTM drug sensitivity testing was performed using the microporous plate ratio method. Data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0, and the change in drug resistance rate was analyzed using the chi-square (χ2) test.@*Results@#Seven species/complex of NTM were identified from patients coinfected with HIV and NTM in this study, with Mycobacterium avium–intracellulare complex (52.5%) and M. kansasii (27.1%) as the predominant species. Male patients were more affected 50/59 (84.7%); the mean age of the 59 cases was 45 years. The clinical characteristics mainly included anemia (86.4%), cough and expectoration (79.7%). The baseline CD4 count was <50 cells/μL (84.7%). Patients were mainly in advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) stage. Chest imaging mainly showed patchy shadows (42.4%) and nodules (32.2%), with various degrees of AIDS-defining diseases. The drug resistance of NTM was severe, and the rate of isoniazid resistance (100.0%) was the highest, followed by rifampicin (94.9%), streptomycin (94.9%), ofloxacin (93.2%), and others. Ethambutol (52.5%) and clarithromycin (33.9%) were relatively low. No significant difference was found in the drug resistance rate of NTM strain against nine antituberculosis drugs in 5 years (P > 0.05).@*Conclusions@#The immune level of patients coinfected with HIV and NTM is low in advanced AIDS stage; more male are affected in patients who are mainly infected with MAC and M. kansasii and with serious drug resistance. The drug resistance rate of ethambutol and clarithromycin is relatively low.

CT characteristics of mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary diseases: Compared with mycobacterium kansasii, mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary diseases / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To explore CT characteristics of mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary diseases compared with mycobacterium kansasii, mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary diseases. Methods: CT images of 35 patients with mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary diseases, 18 with mycobacterium kansasii pulmonary disease and 22 with mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary disease confirmed by clinical data and laboratory tests were retrospectively analyzed, and imaging findings were evaluated and compared. Results: Mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary disease involved both lungs (33/35, 94.29%), multiple lobes (18/35, 51.43%) or all lobes (16/35, 45.71%). CT characteristics included cord shadow (34/35, 97.14%), air space consolidation (33/35, 94.29%), centrilobular nodules or tree in bud (32/35, 91.43%), thickened pleura (32/35, 91.43%), ground glass opacity (31/35, 88.57%), traction bronchiectasis (30/35, 85.71%), non-traction bronchiectasis (25/35, 71.43%), nodes (24/35, 68.57%), calcification (24/35, 68.57%) and cavity (23/35, 65.71%). Ground glass opacity was more frequently observed in mycobacterium intracellulare than mycobacterium kansasii (P=0.001) and mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary disease (P<0.001). Walls of the cavity were thicker in mycobacterium intracellulare than mycobacterium kansasii (P=0.019) and mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary disease (P=0.024). Calcifications were more frequently observed in mycobacterium intracellulare than in mycobacterium kansasii (P=0.014) and mycobacterium abscess/chelonei pulmonary disease (P=0.007). Conclusion: Compared with mycobacterium kansasii and abscess/chelonei pulmonary disease, CT findings of mycobacterium intracellulare have certain characteristics, which may be helpful to differential diagnosis.

Vertebral Osteomyelitis due to Mycobacterium intracellulare in an Immunocompetent Elderly Patient After Vertebroplasty

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) comprises M. intracellulare and M. avium. MAC usually causes pulmonary diseases in individuals with intact immunity, disseminated disease in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and cervical lymphadenitis. It can also cause cutaneous disease, but musculoskeletal infection is rare. Herein, we present a case of vertebral osteomyelitis due to M. intracellulare in an elderly immunocompetent patient who underwent vertebroplasty. The patient was successfully treated with antimycobacterial drugs without surgical intervention. MAC should be considered as a causative pathogen of vertebral osteomyelitis when the patient has a history of vertebroplasty.

A Case of Chronic Arthritis Due to Mycobacterium intracellulare after Trauma / 결핵및호흡기질환

While nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections are recently on the rise, arthritis caused by NTM is hardly reported in Korea. NTM arthritis has no distinctive clinical characteristics from chronic arthritis. Tuberculosis of the joint specifically produces similar clinical and pathologic presentations to NTM arthritis, so it is not easy to distinguish between them. We report a case of Mycobacterium intracellulare in an arthritis patient after trauma and surgical repair of the injury. At the beginning, the patient was diagnosed as tuberculous tenosynovitis through pathology without microbiologic evidence. The final diagnosis was made after subsequent recurrences for several years. The misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis led to irreversible joint destruction and functional impairment. NTM infection must be included in the differential diagnosis of chronic arthritis at the outset.

Respiratory Review of 2009: Nontuberculous Mycobacterium / 결핵및호흡기질환

As the prevalence of tuberculosis declines, the proportion of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease is increasing in Korea. The combined use of liquid and solid media increases the sensitivity of mycobacterial culture and shortens culture time. Because NTMs are ubiquitous in the environment, NTM lung disease requires strict diagnostic criteria to prevent over-diagnosis of NTM lung disease. Mycobacterium avium complex is the most common pathogen of NTM lung disease in Korea and present in two forms: upper lobe cavitary and nodular bronchiectatic form. Decision of treatment of NTM lung disease depends on the infecting species and overall condition of the patient. Because medical therapy requires the use of multiple drugs over 18 to 24 months, surgery for localized disease may be useful for those species refractory to medical therapy.

Respiratory Review of 2009: Nontuberculous Mycobacterium / 결핵및호흡기질환

As the prevalence of tuberculosis declines, the proportion of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease is increasing in Korea. The combined use of liquid and solid media increases the sensitivity of mycobacterial culture and shortens culture time. Because NTMs are ubiquitous in the environment, NTM lung disease requires strict diagnostic criteria to prevent over-diagnosis of NTM lung disease. Mycobacterium avium complex is the most common pathogen of NTM lung disease in Korea and present in two forms: upper lobe cavitary and nodular bronchiectatic form. Decision of treatment of NTM lung disease depends on the infecting species and overall condition of the patient. Because medical therapy requires the use of multiple drugs over 18 to 24 months, surgery for localized disease may be useful for those species refractory to medical therapy.

Diagnosis and treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease / 대한내과학회지

As the prevalence of tuberculosis declines, the proportion of mycobacterial lung disease due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing worldwide. In Korea, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex and Mycobacterium abscessus account for most of the pathogens encountered, whilst Mycobacterium kansasii is a relatively uncommon cause of NTM lung diseases. When NTM lung disease occurs, it is likely to present in one of two forms: apical fibrocavitary disease often affecting older male smokers with previous tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; nodular bronchiectasis classically occurring in middle-aged or older woman who never smoked and present with cough. Because its clinical features are frequently indistinguishable from those of pulmonary tuberculosis and NTMs are ubiquitous in the environment, the isolation and identification of causative organisms are mandatory for diagnosis, and some specific diagnostic criteria have been proposed. Treatment of disease depends on the infecting species, extent and form of disease, and overall condition of the patient, but decisions concerning the institution of treatment are never easy. Treatment requires the use of multiple drugs for 18 to 24 months. Thus, treatment is expensive, often has significant side effects, and is frequently not curative. Surgery for localized disease may be useful for those species expected to be refractory to medical therapy. Observation without treatment may be appropriate for some patients with slowly progressive disease that is expected to be particularly difficult to treat.

Mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary infection accompanied with pleural effusion / 대한내과학회지

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection is rarely accompanied by pleural involvement. We report a very rare case of Mycobacterium intracellulare pulmonary disease accompanied with pleural effusion. A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. A chest radiograph and CT showed bilateral bronchiectasis and bronchopneumonia accompanied with right pleural effusion. The fluid was lymphocyte-dominant exudative effusion, and microbiological examinations of the effusion, including staining and culturing, proved negative. However, one month after admission, subsequent cultures of bronchial washing fluid revealed the presence of M. intracellulare. The patient's effusion was gradually resolved with antibiotic treatment, including clarithromycin.

Acute pneumonia caused by mycobacterium intracellulare / 대한내과학회지

The Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) is the most common pathogen in pulmonary disease caused by a nontuberculous mycobacteria. Patients with MAC pulmonary disease tend to be older, are more likely to have underlying lung disease than tuberculosis patients. The insidious nature of MAC pulmonary disease has been emphasized in many reports because symptoms may be present for months or years before a diagnosis can be made. Most patients experience chronic coughing, which is usually productive of purulent sputum. A MAC pulmonary infection is rarely accompanied by acute respiratory symptoms and lobar pneumonic consolidation on chest radiography. We report a very rare case of M. intracellulare pulmonary disease presenting as acute pneumonia.