NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIA IN PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

The prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolated from the lower airways of adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients appears to be inc reasing. Different centers of USA, England, Sweden and Ireland have re ported a prevalence ranging from 1.5 to 19.5%. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of NTM in patients assisted at t hese centers. A total of 92 sputum specimens and/or gastric contents f rom 40 CF patients were studied. Ages of patients ranged from 4 months to 25 years. Samples were obtained during acute exacerbation or in ro utine check-up. Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex strains wer e isolated from six patients with moderate or severe clinical manifest ations. Five of these patients were considered as being colonized by N TM. Active mycobacterial disease was diagnosed in one patient and he u nderwent treatment. The index of bacterial contamination of cultures w as very high early along the study (57%), decreasing to 2.8% later due to a change in the methodology used in the processing of samples. It was concluded that the presence of NTM is relatively frequent in patie nts with CF, even in children with moderate or severe compromise, a fa ct which strongly suggests that NTM should be systematically searched for considering the possibility that the patients might develop active disease.