Diagnostic Value of Targeted Next-generation Sequencing in Pulmonary Mycobacterial Infections

Objective This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of novel technique-targeted next-generation sequencing(tNGS)of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)in pulmonary mycobacterial infections.Methods This retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent bronchoscopy and tNGS,smear microscopy,and mycobacterial culture of BALF.Patients with positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)culture or GeneXpert results were classified into the tuberculosis case group.Those diagnosed with nontuberculous mycobacteria(NTM)-pulmonary disease(NTM-PD)composed the case group of NTM-PD patients.The control group comprised patients without tuberculosis or NTM-PD.Sensitivity,specificity,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance.Results For tuberculosis patients with positive mycobacterial culture results,the areas under the ROC curves(AUCs)for tNGS,GeneXpert,and smear microscopy were 0.975(95%CI:0.935,1.000),0.925(95%CI:0.859,0.991),and 0.675(95%CI:0.563,0.787),respectively.For tuberculosis patients with positive GeneXpert results,the AUCs of tNGS,culture,and smear microscopy were 0.970(95%CI:0.931,1.000),0.850(95%CI:0.770,0.930),and 0.680(95%CI:0.579,0.781),respectively.For NTM-PD,the AUCs of tNGS,culture,and smear-positive but GeneXpert-negative results were 0.987(95%CI:0.967,1.000),0.750(95%CI:0.622,0.878),and 0.615(95%CI:0.479,0.752),respectively.The sensitivity and specificity of tNGS in NTM-PD patients were 100%and 97.5%,respectively.Conclusion tNGS demonstrated superior diagnostic efficacy in mycobacterial infection,indicating its potential for clinical application.

Chronic intractable nontuberculous mycobacterial-infected wound after acupuncture therapy in the elbow joint:A case report

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal nontuberculous Mycobacterium(NTM)infections are rare,partic-ularly post-acupuncture therapy,and present diagnostic challenges due to their infrequency and potential severity.Prompt recognition and appropriate manage-ment are crucial for optimal outcomes.NTM-infected wounds involving the joints are difficult to treat,and only a few cases have been reported.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of a chronic intractable NTM-infected wound on the elbow joint that completely healed with conservative wound care and antibiotic treatment.An 81-year-old woman presented with a chronic,ulcerative wound on the right elbow joint where she had undergone repeated acupuncture therapy for chronic intolerable pain.Magnetic resonance imaging revealed synovial thickening,effusion,and subcutaneous cystic lesions.An orthopedic surgeon performed open synovectomy and serial debridement.However,1 month postoperatively,the wound had not healed and became chronic.A wound culture revealed NTM(Mycobacterium abscessus),and the patient was referred to the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.Instead of surgical intervention,conservative wound care with intravenous antibiotics was provided,considering the wound status and the patient’s poor general condition.Complete wound healing was achieved in 12 months,with no impact on the range of motion of the elbow joint.CONCLUSION With clinical awareness,musculoskeletal NTM infection can be treated with conservative wound care and appropriate antimicrobial agents.

Pulmonary sequestration infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria:a report of two cases and literature review

We report two cases of pulmonary sequestration infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria(NTM): Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus.Chest computed tomography showed pneumonic consolidation in the right lower lobe,which received a systemic blood supply from the descending aorta in both patients.Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries were successfully performed and pathologica]examinations revealed multiple caseating granulomas.A review of the literature revealed only seven previous case reports of pulmonary sequestration infected with NTM,and no case with Mycobacterium abscessus has been reported.

Misdiagnosis of tuberculosis and the clinical relevance of nontuberculous mycobacteria in Zambia

Objective:To determine the accuracy of TB diagnosis of TB in Zambia in the era of increasing HIV prevalence.Methods:Sputum of the clinically diagnosed TB cases was additionally subjected to liquid culture and molecular identification.This study distinguished between TB cases confirmed by positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tuberculosis) cultures and mycobacterial disease caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Results:Only 49% of the 173 presumptively diagnosed TB cases was M.tuberculosis cultured,while in 13% (22) cases,a combination of M.tuberculosis and NTM was found.In 18% of the patients only NTM were cultured.In 28% ,no mycobacteria was cultivable.HIV positive status was correlated with the isolation of NTM(P【0.05).Conclusions:The diagnosis of tuberculosis based on symptoms, sputum smear and/or chest X-ray leads to significant numbers of false-positive TB cases in Zambia,most likely due to the increased prevalence of HIV.The role of NTM in tuberculosislike disease also seems relevant to the false diagnosis of TB in Zambia.

Construction of Shuttle Expression Plasmid and Stable Expression of Foreign Gene in Mycobacteria and E．Coli

By employing the pUC19 as a backbone,the regulatory and signal sequences which encode kanamycin resistance, and mycobacterial plasmid origin of replication (oriM) were cloned into the pUC19. The recombinant E. Coli-mycobacteria shuttle expression plasmid PBCG-8000 was constructed. The PBCG-8000 was able to replicate in both E. Coli and mycobacteria (including BCG) systems, and to confer stable kanamycin resistance upon transformants. The study should facilitate the development of BCG and other mycobacteria into multivalent vaccine vectors.

Preliminary Study on Drug Susceptibility Profile and Resistance Mechanisms to Macrolides of Clinical Isolates of Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria from China

Objective Macrolide susceptibility and drug resistance mechanisms of clinical non-tuberculous mycobacteria（NTM） isolates were preliminarily investigated for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of the infection in China. Methods Four macrolides, including clarithromycin（CLAR）, azithromycin（AZM）, roxithromycin（ROX）, and erythromycin（ERY）, were used to test the drug susceptibility of 310 clinical NTM isolates from six provinces of China with the broth microdilution method. Two resistance mechanisms, 23 S r RNA and erm, were analyzed with nucleotide sequence analysis. Results Varied effectiveness of macrolides and species-specific resistance patterns were observed. Most Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense were susceptible and all M. fortuitum were highly resistant to macrolides. All the drugs, except for erythromycin, exhibited excellent activities against slow-growing mycobacteria, and drug resistance rates were below 22.2%. Only four highly resistant strains harbored 2,058/2,059 substitutions on rrl and none of other mutations were related to macrolide resistance. G2191 A and T2221 C on rrl were specific for the M. abscessus complex（MABC）. Seven sites, G2140 A, G2210 C, C2217 G, T2238 C, T2322 C, T2404 C, and A2406 G, were specifically carried by M. avium and M. intracellulare. Three sites, A2192 G, T2358 G, and A2636 G, were observed only in M. fortuitum and one site G2152 A was specific for M. gordonae. The genes erm（39） and erm（41） were detected in M. fortuitum and M. abscessus and inducible resistance was observed in relevant sequevar. Conclusion The susceptibility profile of macrolides against NTM was demonstrated. The well-known macrolide resistance mechanisms, 23 S r RNA and erm, failed to account for all resistant NTM isolates, and further studies are warranted to investigate macrolide resistance mechanisms in various NTM species.

Mesenchymal-epithelial Transition Factor Regulates Monocyte Function during Mycobacterial Infection via Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Objective Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb),the causative agent of tuberculosis(TB),causes an estimated 1.6 million human deaths annually,but the pathogenesis of TB remains unclear.Immunity plays a critical role in the onset and outcome of TB.This study aimed to uncover the roles of innate and adaptive immunity in TB.Methods The gene expression profiles generated by RNA sequencing from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)stimulated with or without Mtb strain H37Rv antigens were analyzed.A total of 973 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified.Results The differentially expressed genes were enriched in innate immunity signaling functions.The mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor(MET)gene was significantly upregulated in CD14^(+)monocytes.A MET inhibitor improved the uptake of the BCG strain by monocytes and macrophages as well as inhibited the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase(IDO).The expression of IDO was increased in PBMCs stimulated with Mtb antigens,and the IDO inhibitor promoted the expression of CD40,CD83,and CD86.Conclusion Our results might provide clues regarding the immunomodulatory mechanisms used by Mtb to evade the host defense system.

Two-Tube Multiplex PCR for Genotyping Tuberculous and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Species in Pathology Specimens

Background: The incidence of mycobacterial infection, in particular M. tuberculosis complex (MTC), is increasing in some Western countries, while nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) may be recognized more frequently in clinical specimens worldwide. The clinical scenario and available histopathology alone are often insufficient to separate these two categories of mycobacterial disease, whose behavior and treatment differ. In particular, NTM may be clinically unsuspected in pathological specimens and the opportunity for culturing missed. Methods: We developed two multiplex PCR assays, which distinguish MTC from NTM by detecting the IS6110 insert in the first tube and discriminating up to 14 NTM reference strains in the second by targeting the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer. Test material included 594 routine clinical specimens with diverse pathology;many were granulomas unrelated to mycobacterial infection. About 75% were formalin-fixed paraffin blocks, the remainder mainly cytologic imprints or aspirates on FTA cards submitted on suspicion of mycobacterial infection either to avoid frozen sectioning (with the attendant risk of aerosolisation) or at the time of fine needle aspiration. Results: The paraffinized material yielded 53 MTC positives and the cytological 21 positives. A subset consisting of 337 specimens was also analyzed for NTM and yielded 51 positives. The frequency of simultaneous NTM infection in tuberculous patients was about 17%. Mycobacterium avium complex represented the dominant NTM species overall, showed a predilection for lung and lymph node, and together with M. haemophilum were the second most frequent NTM just behind M. ulcerans/M. marinum in skin and soft tissue, the category displaying the largest NTM diversity. Conclusions: Cytological and deparaffinized tissue analyzed in a new two-tube multiplex PCR allows for specific discrimination of causative agents in mycobacterial infection. MTC is readily distinguished from NTM for appropriate therapy, and NTM presumptively diagnosed at the species level allows appropriate choices of antimicrobials.

MALDI-TOF MS Assessment to Identify Environmental Mycobacteria

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of mycobacterial species described. Currently, the genus?Mycobacterium?consists of 170 species. Most species are called nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and are potentially or rarely pathogenic and ubiquitous. One of the main challenges in mycobacteriology is the rapid and precise identification of these microorganisms. In this work, we compared two protein extraction protocols for the identification of 38 reference strains and clinical isolates, representing 27 species, by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to subsequently use the best method for identifying environmental mycobacteria. The results obtained with reference strains and clinical isolates showed that protocol A was effective in identifying 92.1% of mycobacterial specimens at the species level and protocol B, 50%. Therefore, protocol A was evaluated for the rapid identification of 27 environmental mycobacterial isolates. These isolates were subjected to PCR-restriction enzyme analysis (PRA-hsp65). Two isolates were misidentified by PRA-hsp65, whereas MALDI-TOF MS was able to identify them correctly. The results were confirmed by?hsp65 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mass spectrometry has the advantage of being a simpler and faster technique than PRA-hsp65, and our results showed that MALDI-TOF MS is a valuable tool for the identification of environmental mycobacterial isolates.

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections in Katavi Rukwa Ecosystems

A study on nontuberculous mycobacteria （NTM） was carried out in wildlife-livestock interface of Katavi Rukwa ecosystem （KRE）. 328 livestock tissues and 178 wild animals were cultured, wild animals were sampled opportunistically during professional hunting and game cropping operations in the KRE protected areas. The objective of the study was to generate data on epidemiology of NTM in the wildlife-livestock interface of the KRE. Methods used to identify the NTM were： culture and isolation, polymerase chain reaction, protein heat shock 65 kilodalton （hsp65） and sequencing. Mycobacteria were detected on 25.9% and 11.9% of livestock and wildlife tissue cultures, respectively. The most NTM isolated were M. kansasii （30%）, M. gastri （30%）, M. fortuitum （1%）, M. intracellulare （4%）, M. indicuspranii （4%）, M. nonchromogenicum （6%） and M. lentiflavum （6%）. Other NTM in smaller percentages were M. hibernae, M. engbaekii, M. septicum, M. arupense and 34.. godii. Due to rise of NTM infection in both human and animals, it is recommended that awareness and laboratory facilities be improved to curb the underreporting especially in TB-endemic countries. For species specific identification, a network of national and regional laboratories is promoted.

Giant Bursitis of Wrist and Multiple Tenosynovitis of Hand with Rice Body Formation: Unusual Case of an Atypical Mycobacteria Infection

We report an unusual manifestation of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection characterized by a giant bursitis on wrist and multiple tenosynovitis with many rice bodies formations. The clinical and radiological examinations are neither rather sensitive nor rather specific. The nuclear imagery of rice bodies formations provides elements of guidance. Cause of absence of the germ isolation, diagnosis was retained on probability items based on a suspicion of arguments beam: clinical, biological, bacteriological and histological. The patient was treated with medical and surgical procedure and provided a satisfactory evolution. At follow-up of 15 months, there were no clinical signs of local recurrence. Through a literature review, the problem of diagnosis of certainty will be discussed.

Assessment of the Quality of Life of Patients with Mycobacterial Pulmonary Diseases

Introduction: Mycobacteria pulmonary diseases are chronic illnesses with various impacts on patients’ health status, and wellbeing. These diseases currently represent a global health issue due to increasing burdens and the lack of new development on therapeutic options. Policies based on the quality of life may help to improve the management of this chronic respiratory disease;this study was designed to assess the quality of life of patients treated for the pulmonary mycobacterial disease. Materials and Methods: Participants diagnosed with a mycobacterial pulmonary disease were selected from the University Clinical Research Centers’ (UCRC) 2019 mycobacterial cohort database. A telephone interview was conducted using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36) which has 36 items evaluating physical and mental wellbeing. Scores range from 0 - 100, with higher scores indicating greater Health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 23.0 and the Fisher test was used to compare percentages. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 26 participants were reached and interviewed by phone. The mean age was 42 ± 10.6 years, and 76.9% (20/26) were male. The most common cause of the mycobacterial pulmonary disease was Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with 84.6% (22/26). Four cases of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) were diagnosed including one Mycobacterium avium complex strain (MAC). HIV-positive cases were 46.2% (12/26), and the main respiratory sign was cough for all the participants (100%), followed by dyspnea 46.2% (12/26), chest pain 38.5% (10/26). The mean BMI was 19.7 ± 6.9 kg/m2, the mean respiratory rate was 24.7 ± 8.6, and the mean hemoglobin was 11.8 ± 2.2 g/dl. The mean SF-36 score was 75.1 ± 16.6, and impairment was mainly related to mental problems in 59.6%. The mean total score was significantly lower with age more than 42 years than age less than 42 years. But HIV positive and BMI less than 18.5 do not lead to a significant change of mean total score. Conclusion: Patients with mycobacterial pulmonary diseases have more psychological problems than physical ones. Hence the importance of psychological support in their management to improve their quality of life. A large sample size with a deep interview component would be necessary to address limitations in this design.

Molecular Epidemiology of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in a German CF Center and Clinical Course of NTM Positive Patients

Goal of this study was to analyse the clinical course of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in their respiratory secretions and to investigate the molecular epidemiology of the most prevalent NTM species by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). The respiratory specimen and the clinical parameters forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), body-mass-index (BMI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 1 h and immunoglobulin G (IgG) of 357 CF patients, 0 - 52.4 years, mean FEV1 2009 81.5% pred were analysed between 1998 and 2010. In 13 patients NTM were detected. 12 of 13 patients carried M. abscessus, for one patient the NTM species was not characterized. 4 patients carried a second NTM species (M. avium, M. chelonae (2x), M. intracellulare). 6 patients exhibited a significant decline in FEV1, however changes in BMI, IgG and ESR were discordant. Molecular genotyping of M. abscessus isolates revealed a unique MLSA pattern in 6 patients. 2 patients harboured identical strains, and one patient a closely related strain. Whether the presence of identical strains is attributed to the acquisition of NTM clones from common environmental sources or to patient-to-patient transmission cannot be definitely clarified. Although cross-in- fection of the three patients with identical/closely related strains in the present cohort is highly unlikely, we recommend strict hygiene measures for all CF patients harbouring NTM.

Value of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Clinical Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)for rapid diagnosis of diseases caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).We retrospectively reviewed four NTM-infected cases diagnosed by smear microscopy,mycobacterial culture and mNGS methods.We found that the mNGS method not only had a shorter detection turnaround time(3–4 days)than Mycobacterium culture(15–20 days)but also had higher sensitivity and specificity to identify NTM compared with conventional detection methods.In addition,mNGS was able to identify coinfections by NTM and other bacteria,fungi or viruses.Overall,diagnosis of NTM by mNGS can provide timely and precise guidance for subsequent clinical treatment of NTM infections.

Lack of correlation between surface water area and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF)

Background People with cystic fibrosis(CF)may develop clinically significant chronic respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)and non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Open water has been suggested to be an important source for continuous or intermittent exposure to these pathogens.To date,there has been a paucity of studies examining the relationship between chronic PA and NTM infection in CF patients and surfaces waters,including blue spaces.The aim of this study was therefore to examine the relationship between chronic pulmonary infection with PA and NTMs in children and adults with CF in European countries and area of surface waters,including blue spaces.Methods European CF registry data detailing incidence of chronic PA and NTM infection in adults and children with CF in Europe(n=41,486 in 24 European countries)was correlated with surface water area data from the same countries(approx.678,278 km2)employing Spearman coefficients.Results Correlation of chronic PA infection in children and adults and surface water area were not significant(p=0.0680 and p=0.8448,respectively),as was NTM infection(p=0.7371 and p=0.0712,respectively).Conclusions Acquistion of PA and its avoidance in people with CF is a complicated dynamic,not solely driven by close association with surface water,but through the integration of several other factors,including mitigations by people with CF to avoid high risk scenarios with surface water.This study was unable to demonstrate a correlation between PA and NTM infection in people with cystic fibrosis and surface water area at a national level.CF patients should continue to be vigilant about potential infection risks posed by water and take evidence-based decisions regarding their behaviour around water to protect them for acquiring these organisms from these sources.

Late recurrence in surgically managed pediatric atypical mycobacterial lymphadenitis:A case report and review of the literature

Objective:The purpose of this study is to identify existing literature on recurrent atypical mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis to augment our understanding of a unique patient who presented to our tertiary‐care center 5‐years posttreatment with recurrence following curettage.Data Sources:OVID Medline,Scopus,and Web of Science.Methods:A literature search was conducted yielding 49 original articles which were screened twice by two independent reviewers resulting in 14 studies meeting inclusion criteria for data extraction using Covidence software.Two independent reviewers extracted data on recurrence of atypical mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis and consensus was reached on data points from all included studies.Results:This study illuminated the paucity of recurrence reporting in the literature regarding atypical mycobacterial lymphadenitis.Sixteen studies identified in our review included discussions on recurrence with few elaborating beyond the rate of recurrence to describe their management.Fourteen out of sixteen studies provided recurrence rates for their cohort,11 out of 14 specified the initial treatment modality,and only five out of eight studies that described initial treatment with surgery differentiated recurrence rates between complete and incomplete excision.The mean length of follow‐up in the included studies was 20 months.There was one previously reported case of late recurrence at 5‐years.Conclusions:We identified few reports that discussed the management of recurrence of atypical mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis.There was minimal data on recurrence rates between surgical treatment modalities.The case discussed in our study showcases that treatment with curettage has the potential to present with late recurrence.

34例非结核分枝杆菌病的临床病理特征分析

目的:探讨非结核分枝杆菌(non-tuberculous mycobacteria,NTM)病的临床病理学特征。方法:回顾性收集北京协和医院2015年3月1日至2023年12月31日诊治且有病理送检记录的34例NTM病患者的临床资料及病理资料。将所有患者分为播散性NTM病组(14例)和非播散性NTM病组(20例),分析并比较两组患者的临床病理特征。结果:22例(64.71%,22/34)患者的致病菌为鸟-胞内分枝杆菌,6例(17.65%,6/34)患者的致病菌为龟-脓肿分枝杆菌,4例(11.76%,4/34)患者为堪萨斯分枝杆菌。病理组织学检查发现23例(67.65%,23/34)可见肉芽肿病变,其中,19例(82.61%,19/23)样本中的上皮样组织细胞排列均松散,7例(30.43%,7/23)样本中可见化脓性肉芽肿。5例(14.71%,5/34)可见富于核碎片的嗜碱性坏死,4例(11.76%,4/34)出现粉染的干酪样坏死,18例(52.94%,18/34)观察到多核巨细胞反应。5例(23.81%,5/21)抗酸染色阳性。结论:NTM病的病理组织学表现多样,以松散的上皮样肉芽肿为主要病理改变,常伴多核巨细胞反应,且化脓性肉芽肿较常见。

非结核分枝杆菌病诊治六十年

人类发现非结核杆菌(nontuberculous mycobacteria,NTM)病已有60多年,对其诊治水平不断提高。20世纪90年代,通过随机对照多中心研究,发现大环内酯为核心的方案对鸟分枝杆菌复合群疾病有较好疗效。几乎同一时期,以分子生物学为基础的菌种鉴定取代了生化实验为基础的菌种鉴定,使医疗机构广泛开展NTM病的诊治成为可能。近年,该领域也出现较多进步,如实现了临床标本分枝杆菌的快速菌种鉴定,发现再感染是NTM病治疗失败的重要原因,以及发现阿米卡星脂质体用于鸟分枝杆菌复合群肺病的价值。基于结核病诊治的经验,未来的NTM诊治要不断探索核心药物敏感性快速诊断方法,实现短疗程的NTM病治疗新方案。

非结核分枝杆菌肺病的临床病理特征及分子病理诊断

目的 分析非结核分枝杆菌(NTM)肺病的临床病理特征及分子病理诊断,提高病理医生的诊断及鉴别诊断能力。方法 回顾性分析2016年11月至2022年4月首都医科大学附属北京胸科医院收治的57例NTM肺病患者的临床病理资料,光镜下观察组织学形态,行抗酸染色法查找抗酸杆菌,并进一步应用荧光定量聚合酶链式反应(FQ-PCR)技术检测结核分枝杆菌(MTB)DNA和探针熔解曲线法进行分枝杆菌菌种鉴定。结果 57例NTM肺病的分枝杆菌菌种鉴定结果:胞内分枝杆菌23例,蟾蜍分枝杆菌14例,堪萨斯分枝杆菌8例,鸟分枝杆菌7例,脓肿分枝杆菌3例,龟分枝杆菌2例。27例手术标本组织学特征主要表现为典型肉芽肿伴坏死13例,不典型肉芽肿伴坏死8例,纤维包裹性坏死3例,支气管扩张2例,非坏死性肉芽肿1例,脓肿分枝杆菌感染灶可见小脓肿形成。57例标本抗酸染色均查找到抗酸杆菌。抗酸杆菌分布在坏死、纤维素样渗出及组织细胞胞质;胞内分枝杆菌较易形成菌团;堪萨斯分枝杆菌可见异型菌。FQ-PCR技术均未检测到MTB DNA。结论 NTM肺病的临床病理学特征表现多样,没有特异性,分子病理技术能够显著提高明确诊断率。

Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Mycobacterium avium Complex Pulmonary Disease in a Brazilian Amazon Cohort

The incidence of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MACPD) has been globally increasing. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of clinical characteristics and treatment response among patients in the Amazon region of Brazil and conduct a retrospective cohort study at a prominent referral hospital in the State of Par, Brazil, from 2012 to 2020. The M. avium group represented 58.9% of cases, followed by M. intracellulare (35.7%), M. colombiense (3.6%), and M. chimaera (1.8%). The majority of patients (73.2%) were female and with an average age of 63 years. Primary clinical manifestations included persistent cough and sputum production. The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) averaged 2.47, with 36.3% of patients having a CCI score equal to higher than 3. Notably, over 70% of patients had received treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis before initiating treatment for MAC infection. The fibrocavitary radiologic form was the most prevalent (55.4%), frequently exhibiting a bilateral distribution (53.6%). Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed a significant prevalence of MAC resistance to drugs in the therapeutic regimen. Despite this, most of the patients experienced clinical improvement (50%). In conclusion, this study highlights a higher prevalence of MAC infections among middle-aged women, with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis treatment and presenting the fibrocavitary radiological form was predominant.