International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 20, Number 3 > Pp. 193-195

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Original research articles

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria in the sputum of HIV-infected patients: infection or colonization?

G Alvarez-Uria MD  ^* , V Falcó MD PhD ^* , N Martín-Casabona MD PhD  , M Crespo MD PhD ^*, S Villar del Saz MD ^*, A Curran MD ^*, I Ocaña MD PhD ^* , E Ribera MD PhD ^* and A Pahissa MD PhD ^* 

^* Infectious Diseases Department, Vall Hebron University Hospital; Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Microbiology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence to: Dr Gerardo Alvarez-Uria, North Manchester General Hospital, Delaunays Road, Manchester M8 5RB, UK Email: gerardouria{at}gmail.com

It can be difficult to establish the clinical significance of the isolation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) from the sputum of HIV-infected patients. In this observational study, we have investigated factors associated with having NTM infection. During the period of the study, 10 patients had NTM infection and 14 had NTM colonization. Factors associated with having NTM infections were: CD4 lymphocyte count <50 cells/mL (odds ratio [OR] 10; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–69.3), haemoglobin <11 g/dL (OR 7.2; 95% CI 1.08–47.9), weight loss (OR 9; 95% CI 1.3–63.9), duration of symptoms for more than a month (OR 54; 95% CI 4.2–692.5), the presence of acid fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum (OR 30.3; 95% CI 2.6–348.9) and repeated positive NTM cultures in other sputum samples (OR 4.3; 95% CI 1.6–11.7). In conclusion, we must suspect NTM infection in patients with long-standing symptoms, anaemia, low CD4 lymphocyte count, several positive sputum cultures and when AFB are seen.

Key Words: Mycobacterium avium complex • Mycobacterium kansasii • Mycobacterium xenopi • haemoglobin • CD4 lymphocyte count

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