Prevalence of Nocardia species among HIV-positive patients with suspected tuberculosis

• Published in: Tropical doctor 2011-10, Vol.41 (4), p.224-226
• Main Authors: Alnaum, Hana M A, Elhassan, Mogahid M, Mustafa, Faisal Y, Hamid, Mohamed E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - diagnosis; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - microbiology; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; General aspects; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Hospitals, Teaching; Human bacterial diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunocompetence; Immunocompromised Host; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium; Nocardia; Nocardia - isolation & purification; Nocardia Infections - diagnosis; Nocardia Infections - epidemiology; Nocardia Infections - microbiology; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Sputum - microbiology; Sudan - epidemiology; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0049-4755; 1758-1133
• DOI: 10.1258/td.2011.110107

The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of nocardiosis in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals clinically suspected of having tuberculosis (TB). The study population (n = 171) were those who attended chest hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan, between January and March 2010. The patients suffered from pulmonary infections with positive acid-fast bacilli. Blood (n = 171) and sputum (n = 171) samples were collected simultaneously. Blood samples were tested serologically for the presence of antibodies using HIV/Intensified Combination Prevention (ICP) test and sputum were cultured onto Lowenstein Jensen slants according to standard methods. Isolates showing rapid growth characteristic of Nocardiae were subcultured and subsequently identified using glucose yeast extract agar medium. All candidates in the study population (n = 171) suffered from pulmonary infections, nocardiosis was diagnosed in 4% (n = 7), HIV-positive cases were 17 (9.9%). Five Nocardia species were isolated from HIV-negative patients whereas two were from HIV-positive patients. Nocardia spp. cause pulmonary infections (4.09%) in both immunocompetent (2.92%) as well as immunocompromised (1.17%) patients who attend chest clinics in Sudan.