Recent trends in clinically significant nontuberculous Mycobacteria isolates at a Korean general hospital

• Published in: Annals of laboratory medicine 2014, 34(1), , pp.56-59
• Main Authors: Kim, Hyun Soo, Lee, Yangsoon, Lee, Sangsun, Kim, Young Ah, Sun, Young-Kyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brief Communication; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - microbiology; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Female; Hospitals, General - standards; Hospitals, General - trends; Humans; Lung Diseases - diagnosis; Lung Diseases - microbiology; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - diagnosis; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous - microbiology; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria - genetics; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria - physiology; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Republic of Korea; Sputum - microbiology; 병리학
• ISSN: 2234-3806; 2234-3814
• DOI: 10.3343/alm.2014.34.1.56

Lung disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) represents an increasing proportion of all mycobacterial diseases. We investigated recent occurrences of NTM and evaluated the clinical significance of NTM isolates from 752 respiratory specimens collected from patients at National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital between January 2007 and May 2011. Specimens were incubated on solid and liquid media (BACTEC MGIT 960, BD, USA) for 6-8 weeks, and PCR and reverse blot hybridization were performed (REBA Myco-ID, Molecules & Diagnostics, Korea). Clinical features of the patients were reviewed through medical records. The most frequently isolated organism was Mycobacterium avium (46.7%), followed by M. intracellulare (14.8%), M. fortuitum (7.2%), and M. abscessus (6.6%). The most common mycobacteria among definitive cases of NTM lung disease were M. avium (42/351, 12.0%), M. intracellulare (19/111, 17.1%), M. abscessus (11/50, 22.0%), M. massiliense (4/13, 30.8%), and M. fortuitum (4/54, 7.4%). Clinically significant cases of NTM lung disease increased from 4 patients in 2007 to 32 in 2011. The mean patient age was 64 yr (range: 35-88 yr), and 58 (64%) patients were women. Patients suffered from cough, productive sputum, and hemoptysis. In summary, the most common mycobacteria causing NTM lung disease were M. avium and M. intracellulare; however, cases of M. massiliense and M. abscessus infection are on the rise in Korea.