Mycobacterial infections in human immuno-deficiency virus seropositive patients: role of non-tuberculous mycobacteria.
Article
in En
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-110493
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
There is high prevalence of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection; hence the role of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in HIV patients has always been undermined. NTM may be responsible for clinical disease in a substantial number of immuno-compromised HIV sero-positive individuals even in a country endemic for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). The study was designed to look for the contribution of NTM to morbidity in HIV seropositive patients. MATERIAL ANDMETHODS:
In a prospective study of ninety-four HIV seropositive individuals presenting with pulmonary or extra-pulmonary symptoms suggestive of mycobacterial infection, appropriate samples were collected and processed. Detailed clinical history was utilized to differentiate colonization or contamination by NTM from true lung disease.RESULTS:
Fourteen samples grew mycobacterial species, 8(57.2%) being NTM. The distribution of NTM was--3 M. avium complex, 2 M. fortuitum, 2 M. vaccae, 1 M. phlei. 6 isolates were M. tuberculosis.CONCLUSION:
NTM may be responsible for a significant proportion of mycobacterial infections in HIV seropositive individuals. Despite the high endemicity of tuberculosis in developing countries like India, the presence of NTM should be ruled out; especially in immuno-compromised HIV seropositive individuals before instituting anti-tubercular therapy empirically. In addition, non-response of NTM to ATT may be wrongly attributed to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
Full text:
1
Index:
IMSEAR
Main subject:
Female
/
Humans
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Male
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Mycobacterium avium Complex
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Microbial Sensitivity Tests
/
Prospective Studies
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Adolescent
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HIV Seropositivity
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Adult
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Mycobacterium fortuitum
Type of study:
Observational_studies
Language:
En
Year:
2008
Type:
Article