ABSTRACT
The genus Nocardia is an aerobic bacterium, Gram-positive and catalase positive that is in Nocardiaceae family. This bacterium first described by Edmond Nocard in 1888 and is not in human commensal bacteria. To date, nocardiosis incidence is increasing due to increase population growth rate, increase in patients with immune disorder diseases and immunocompromised patients. We surveyed taxonomic position, isolation methods, phenotypic and molecular identification at the genus and species levels, antibiogram, treatment and epidemiology in the world from 1888 to 2017.
Subject(s)
Nocardia Infections/history , Nocardia Infections/microbiology , Nocardia/pathogenicity , Bacterial Typing Techniques , Cell Wall/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , Genes, Bacterial/genetics , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Immune System Diseases/microbiology , Immunocompromised Host , Incidence , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Molecular Typing , Nocardia/classification , Nocardia/genetics , Nocardia/isolation & purification , Nocardia Infections/diagnosis , Nocardia Infections/epidemiology , Phenotype , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/geneticsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nocardiosis is a rare disease with polymorphic presentations. The epidemiology and clinical presentation could change with the increasing number of immunocompromised patients. METHODS: The medical records and microbiological data of patients affected by nocardiosis and treated at the university hospitals of Marseille between 2004 and 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The cases of 34 patients infected by Nocardia spp during this period were analyzed. The main underlying conditions were transplantation (n=15), malignancy (n=9), cystic fibrosis (n=4), and immune disease (n=3); no immunodeficiency condition was observed for three patients. No case of AIDS was observed. At diagnosis, 61.8% had received steroids for over 3 months. Four clinical presentations were identified, depending on the underlying condition: the disseminated form (50.0%) and the visceral isolated form (26.5%) in severely immunocompromised patients, the bronchial form (14.7%) in patients with chronic lung disease, and the cutaneous isolated form (8.8%) in immunocompetent patients. Nocardia farcinica was the main species identified (26.5%). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was prescribed in 68.0% of patients, and 38.0% underwent surgery. Mortality was 11.7%, and the patients who died had disseminated or visceral nocardiosis. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation and outcome of nocardiosis depend on the patient's initial immune status and underlying pulmonary condition. Severe forms were all iatrogenic, occurring after treatments altering the immune system.
