Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Clin Med 2020 May 3;9(5). Epub 2020 May 3.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Korea.

Although prevalence of complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) is increasing, limited data are available regarding vulnerability to complex (MAC) infections. To understand the pathobiology of interaction between MAC and host-immunity, it is important to understand the characteristics for circulating T cells in terms of the immunological phenotype and functional correlates in MAC-PD. We aimed to characterize immunophenotype, cytokine profile, and immune inhibitory receptors of circulating CD4 T cells in MAC-PD patients. Read More

J Infect Public Health 2020 Apr 22. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Key Laboratory on Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: The increasing pulmonary diseases are reported to be affected by mixed infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). In this study, our objective was to assess the efficiency of mycobacterial culture plus DNA sequencing to detect the mixed infections with MTB and various NTM organisms. We also aimed to investigate how efficiently GeneXpert detected MTB in mixed infections with NTM in in vitro models. Read More

Cureus 2020 Mar 23;12(3):e7381. Epub 2020 Mar 23.

Internal Medicine, Medical Center of Trinity, Trinity, USA.

is a gram-negative bacillus that has a multitude of inherent and acquired antimicrobial resistance. It is a rare, isolated pathogen in patients without cystic fibrosis (CF). We report the case of a 76-year-old Caucasian male with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), previous (MAI) infection, and chronic bronchiectasis who did not respond to three courses of outpatient antibiotics for a chronic cough. Read More

Am Surg 2020 Mar;86(3):e122-e123

Sr Care Pharm 2020 Apr;35(4):162-170

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, safety, administration, and role of amikacin liposome inhalation suspension (ALIS) in treatment of complex (MAC) lung disease.
A PubMed search using the terms "amikacin inhaled," "nebulized," and "liposome suspension" was performed. Selected infectious diseaseconference posters were also examined for relevant information. Read More

N Engl J Med 2020 Mar;382(11):1041

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020 Mar 11. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Emory University School of Medicine, 12239, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

The incidence and prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD) is rising worldwide and accounts for most clinical cases of NTM. NTM infections occur in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. Macrophages are the primary host cells that initiate an immune response to NTM. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2020 Apr 5;93:320-328. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Objective: Phenotypic (Sensititre Myco, pDST) and genotypic drug susceptibility testing (GenoType NTM DR, gDST) in M. avium complex (MAC) have become available as standardized assays, but comparable data is needed. This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic drug susceptibility patterns in MAC clinical isolates. Read More

Clin Imaging 2020 Jul 26;63:24-29. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States of America.

A horseshoe abscess is caused by infection that spreads between the flexor tendon sheath of the thumb or little finger through the radial and ulnar bursae through communication between the two and/or the space of Parona. We present a case of an 80-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who presented with 6 months of right hand and wrist soft tissue swelling, initially treated as a rheumatoid arthritis flare. MRI demonstrates the horseshoe abscess and after surgical irrigation and debridement with synovectomy, cultures demonstrated infection with mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI). Read More

Front Microbiol 2020 7;11:116. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, United States.

() and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are formidable causes of lung diseases throughout the world. While is considered to be more virulent than NTM, host factors also play a key role in disease development. To elucidate whether there are differential immune responses to various mycobacteria, THP-1 macrophages were temporally infected with H37Rv or with four different NTM species. Read More

IDCases 2020 11;19:e00720. Epub 2020 Feb 11.

Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Nesima Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections still represent a large group of insidious diseases hard to deal with. Traditionally, immunocompromised patients suffer from NTM infections, especially with respiratory involvement or disseminated diseases due to MAC ( complex). Here we report a rare case of infection involving skin and soft tissue, manifested as a chronic cutaneous ulcer in an immunocompetent patient with several comorbidities, including seizures. Read More

J Infect Dev Ctries 2019 12 31;13(12):1095-1100. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang, Zhejiang, China.

Introduction: Non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) can colonize the human body, leading to opportunistic infection. This study was conducted to analyze the NTM species composition in a primary hospital and investigate the potential features of the patients with different NTM species.

Methodology: Mycobacterial strains were collected from the patients admitted at the hospital from January 2016 to May 2019. Read More

Pathog Glob Health 2020 Mar 8;114(2):104-108. Epub 2020 Feb 8.

Center for Investigation in Pediatrics, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolation and their related outcomes among pediatric patients of a Brazilian university hospital from 2012 to 2019. NTM were identified in different clinical samples by microbiological culture and molecular-based methods. NTM were isolated from 14 patients, out of whom four (27%) were infected and were treated accordingly. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2020 01 5;359(1):42-50. Epub 2019 Nov 5.

Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Electronic address:

We report a case of liver transplant patient who presented with lung masses, found to be Mycobacterium spindle cell pseudotumors. The masses demonstrated hypermetabolic activities on positron emission tomography. Core biopsy revealed sheets of spindle histiocytic cells with abundant acid-fast bacilli identified as Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2020 01;95(1):202

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Mayo Clin Proc 2020 01;95(1):201-202

Insmed Incorporated, Bridgewater, NJ.

Cutis 2019 Nov;104(5):E11-E13

Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

Case Rep Gastrointest Med 2019 3;2019:8129597. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Division of Gastroenterology, BronxCare Hospital Center a Clinical Affiliate of Mt Sinai Health Systems and Academic Affiliate of Icahn School of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.

(MAI) infections are common in (HIV) positive patients. MAI infection can have localized or disseminated presentation, patients with low CD4 count presenting with disseminated infection. Fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss are generally the presenting symptoms of disseminated MAI. Read More

Respir Res 2019 Dec 18;20(1):286. Epub 2019 Dec 18.

Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-Gu, 03722, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Background: Macrolide is a key drug in the treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). Macrolide-resistant MAC is gaining importance, but there are little data in clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of macrolide-resistant MAC-PD (MR-MAC-PD).

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies reporting clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with MR-MAC-PD. Read More

N Engl J Med 2019 Dec;381(25):2461

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Dec 16;19(1):1055. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: The risk factors for Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease (MAC-LD) are not well known. We hypothesized that low serum estradiol (E2) levels are related to MAC-LD as most patients with MAC-LD are postmenopausal women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study compared patients with MAC-LD and healthy controls. Read More

Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi 2019 Dec;42(12):901-906

Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai 200433, China.

To investigate the clinical characteristics and drug susceptibility test (DST) of patients infected with different nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NMLD) in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from March 2014 to March 2015 were studied retrospectively by analyzing the clinical characteristics, radiological features and DST results. A total of 201 NMLD patients [male 108, age(58±15) yrs] were enrolled into this study including 48 cases of [male 13, age (52±16) yrs],46 cases of [male 46, age (57±16) yrs], 92 cases of [male 43, age (61±13) yrs], and 15 cases of [male 6, age (67±10) yrs]. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2019 Oct 7;66(4):461-467. Epub 2019 May 7.

Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram, Chennai, India.

Introduction: With the introduction of newer molecular diagnostic tools, an increasing number of Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) affecting the respiratory system and mimicking symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are being identified. They may be misdiagnosed and treated as PTB, often categorized as treatment failures if they do not respond to treatment. This manuscript aims to characterize patients with pulmonary NTM disease. Read More

Ann Hematol 2020 Jan 6;99(1):183-184. Epub 2019 Dec 6.

Pathology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria di Terni, University of Perugia, Terni, Italy.

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Dec;98(49):e18163

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei.

Rationale: Non-traumatic bowel perforation caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections has become rare among patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART); however, CMV-associated and MAC-related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) has subsequently emerged owing to the wide use of integrase inhibitor-based regimens. Here we report a case of spontaneous perforation of the jejunum in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with good compliance to cART.

Patient Concerns: A 32-year-old HIV-infected man developed CMV disease and DMAC infection, as unmasking IRIS, 3 days after the initiation of cART. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Nov 26;19(1):994. Epub 2019 Nov 26.

Department of infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex are recognized as opportunistic pathogens to humans. Mycobacterium arosiense is one of the novel members of the Mycobacterium avium complex. The organism has only rarely been reported in human clinical cases and may be routinely misidentified. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2020 Jan 28;58(2). Epub 2020 Jan 28.

National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

infection and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections exhibit similar clinical symptoms; however, the therapies for these two types of infections are different. Therefore, the rapid and accurate identification of and NTM species is very important for the control of tuberculosis and NTM infections. In the present study, a Cas12a/guide RNA (gRNA)-based platform was developed to identify and most NTM species. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2019 Nov 11;19(1):212. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.

Background: A three-drug regimen (macrolide, ethambutol, and rifampicin) is recommended for the treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). Although macrolide has proven efficacy, the role of ethambutol and rifampicin in patients without acquired immune deficiency syndrome is not proven with clinical studies. We aimed to clarify the roles of ethambutol and rifampicin in the treatment of MAC-PD. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2019 11;94(11):2308-2313

Advisor to residents and Consultant in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address:

Respir Med Case Rep 2019 14;28:100947. Epub 2019 Oct 14.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan.

Axillary lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria is rare and has been reported in immunocompromised hosts. Herein, we report the case of a 67-year-old man without immunodeficiency who developed right axillary lymphadenitis caused by and showed a small nodular shadow in the left pulmonary apex. Biopsy of the right axillary lymph node revealed several epithelioid granulomas, and the culture of the lymph node aspirate yielded . Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Oct 29;19(1):909. Epub 2019 Oct 29.

Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections occur mostly in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose disseminated NTM infections in patients without history of immunocompromised diseases or using immunosuppressant. Patients with anti-interferon-γ (IFN-γ) autoantibodies are vulnerable to intracellular infections, such as disseminated NTM. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2019 Sep;11(9):3814-3821

Second Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama, Hamamatsu, Japan.

Background: The prevalence of pulmonary infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing worldwide. Furthermore, the treatment of infections caused by the complex (MAC) remains challenging. The cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme inducer, rifampicin, and the CYP inhibitor, clarithromycin, have clinical activity against MAC and key drugs in the treatment of MAC infection. Read More

Respir Res 2019 Oct 21;20(1):224. Epub 2019 Oct 21.

Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1 West-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8556, Japan.

Background: The incidence of infectious disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria is increasing worldwide. Pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease is difficult to treat with chemotherapy, and its mechanism of infection, infection route, disease onset, and severity remain unknown. Ficolins are oligomeric defense lectins. Read More

BMC Genomics 2019 Oct 17;20(1):752. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe Institute of Health, Kobe, Japan.

Background: The rapid identification of lineage remains a challenge in the genotyping of clinical isolates of recombinogenic pathogens. The chromosome of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH), an agent of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease, is often mosaic and is composed of chromosomal segments originating from different lineages. Read More

Vasc Endovascular Surg 2020 Feb 2;54(2):191-194. Epub 2019 Oct 2.

Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

Aortic graft infections are uncommon complications after endovascular aortic surgery. In the majority of cases, gram-positive and then gram-negative organisms are the causative agents leading to this condition. Atypical organisms are traditionally not responsible for graft infection unless the patient is immunocompromised. Read More

Zhonghua Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue 2019 Aug;31(8):1033-1036

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong, China. Corresponding author: Liu Xiaoqing, Email:

Objective: To study the risk factors and the clinical characteristics of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary diseases in patients with mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Retrospective survey was carried out in the patients with mechanical ventilation who combined with NTM pulmonary disease admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from May 2016 to May 2019. The general information, basic diseases, symptoms, signs, biochemical examinations, acid-fast stain test, mycobacterium culture and strain identification results, and chest CT data were collected to summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with mechanical ventilation combined with NTM pulmonary disease. Read More

Int J Mycobacteriol 2019 Jul-Sep;8(3):295-297

Infectious Diseases Department, Matosinhos Local Health Unit, Matosinhos, Portugal.

Mycobacterium colombiense is a newly recognized member of the Mycobacterium avium complex, and only a few cases of infections caused by this pathogen have been reported. We present an imported case of disseminated disease caused by M. colombiense in an HIV patient in early February 2017. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2019 Jul;11(7):2715-2721

Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: The prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing in recent years, and thus the number of related surgeries. In recent studies, a few recent studies reported that NTM patients require preoperative treatment. In addition, some cases are found to be granuloma suspected to be NTM (gsNTM) after surgery. Read More

Indian J Tuberc 2019 Jul 19;66(3):422-426. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Electronic address:

A 34 year-old lady was referred for rheumatology review by the orthopaedic team for further investigation of chronic left sternoclavicular joint pain. No preceding event such as trauma, injury or infection had occurred. A rheumatology workup turned out to be negative for an inflammatory arthropathy. Read More

Braz J Infect Dis 2019 Jul - Aug;23(4):246-253. Epub 2019 Aug 14.

Niigata University, School of Medicine, Department of Bacteriology, Niigata, Japan; Universitas Airlangga, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Surabaya, Indonesia. Electronic address:

Accurate and rapid diagnostic tools are important aspects of managing tuberculosis (TB) cases appropriately. However, the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic kits based on immune response such as the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) are still debated. Thus, the exploration and assessment of specific biomarker-targeted antibodies are needed for the development of an accurate and rapid diagnostic tool. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2019 09;38(9):979

From the Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

J Cyst Fibros 2019 Aug 6. Epub 2019 Aug 6.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address:

Background: The majority of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) species. Data on MAC species distribution and outcomes of infection in CF are lacking.

Methods: This was a single center, retrospective study. Read More

F1000Res 2018 2;7:1175. Epub 2018 Aug 2.

Internal Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, Bronx, NY, 10029, USA.

An 86 year old woman with multiple chronic lung diseases (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, and untreated mycobacterium avium-intracellulare) presented with two weeks of increased shortness of breath, notably worse when seated as compared to when lying down. After treatments focused on her known conditions did not resolve her dyspnea, the differential diagnosis was broadened and she was found to have evidence of cirrhosis on imaging. As a result of this new diagnosis, transthoracic echocardiography and arterial blood gas analysis were performed and together yielded the diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome. Read More

J Zoo Wildl Med 2019 Jun 13;50(2):427-436. Epub 2019 Jun 13.

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA.

A group of zoo-housed little penguins () was diagnosed with mycobacteriosis. While undergoing multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging for an unrelated research project, pulmonary lesions were detected in multiple individuals. In general, birds appeared healthy and free of outward signs of disease. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2019 Jun 27;19(1):117. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 1071 Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, 07985, Republic of Korea.

Background: Although infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasing in prevalence, there are few data about hemoptysis in patients with NTM lung disease. This study investigated the characteristics and prognosis of hemoptysis secondary to NTM infection.

Methods: Following a retrospective review of cases managed between 2006 and 2016, 183 patients with NTM lung disease were enrolled and analyzed. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Dec 22;25(12):995-1000. Epub 2019 Jun 22.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.

Background: Although fluoroquinolones are considered as alternative therapies of pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease, the association between fluoroquinolone resistance and MAC genotypes in clinical isolates from individuals not previously treated for MAC infection is not fully clear.

Methods: Totals of 154 M. avium isolates and 35 Mycobacterium intracellulare isolates were obtained from treatment-naïve patients with pulmonary MAC disease at the diagnosis of MAC infection at 8 hospitals in Japan. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jun 21;12(6). Epub 2019 Jun 21.

Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

J Infect Chemother 2019 Dec 18;25(12):1060-1064. Epub 2019 Jun 18.

Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Japan.

Mycobacterium genavense (M. genavense) is one of the most fastidious, difficult to culture Mycobacterium species. Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may develop immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) due to disseminated M. Read More

Lett Appl Microbiol 2019 Sep 10;69(3):155-160. Epub 2019 Jul 10.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.

Mycobacterium avium causes atypical mycobacterial infection in humans and animals worldwide. M. avium comprises the subspecies avium (MAA), hominissuis (MAH), silvaticum (MAS) and paratuberculosis (MAP). Read More