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Observational Study
. 2015 Jan;14(1):46-52.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2014.08.002. Epub 2014 Aug 30.

Epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacteria among patients with cystic fibrosis in Scandinavia

Tavs Qvist  1 , Marita Gilljam  2 , Bodil Jönsson  3 , David Taylor-Robinson  4 , Søren Jensen-Fangel  5 , Mikala Wang  6 , Anita Svahn  7 , Karsten Kötz  8 , Lennart Hansson  9 , Annika Hollsing  10 , Christine R Hansen  11 , Pål L Finstad  12 , Tania Pressler  13 , Niels Høiby  14 , Terese L Katzenstein  13 ; Scandinavian Cystic Fibrosis Study Consortium (SCFSC)
Collaborators, Affiliations
Observational Study

Epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacteria among patients with cystic fibrosis in Scandinavia

Tavs Qvist et al. J Cyst Fibros. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are an emerging threat to cystic fibrosis (CF) patients but their epidemiology is not well described.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study we identified all Scandinavian CF patients with a positive NTM culture from airway secretions from 2000 to the end of 2012 and used national CF databases to describe microbiological and clinical characteristics.

Results: During the 13-year period 157 (11%) CF patients were culture positive for NTM at least once. Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) (45%) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) (32%) were the predominant species with geographical differences in distribution. Younger patients were more prone to MABSC (p<0.01). Despite treatment, less than one-third of MABSC patients with repeated positive cultures cleared their infection and a quarter had a lung transplant or died.

Conclusion: NTM are significant CF pathogens and are becoming more prevalent in Scandinavia. MABSC and MAC appear to target distinct patient groups. Having multiple positive cultures despite treatment conveys a poor outcome.

Keywords: Mycobacterium abscessus; Mycobacterium avium; Prevalence; Susceptibility.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
New cases of patients with at least one nontuberculous mycobacteria positive culture among CF patients in Scandinavia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Number of CF patients fulfilling ATS/IDSA microbiological criteria for nontuberculous mycobacteria infection in Scandinavia from 2000 to 2012.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) positive patients according to age at time of first isolate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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