title: Evidence of previous infection with Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare complex among healthy subjects: an international study of dominant mycobacterial skin test reactions.
abstract: Skin tests with 0.1 mL of intermediate-strength Mycobacterium tuberculosis purified protein derivative (PPD) and 0.1 mL of Mycobacterium avium sensitin were conducted on 484 healthy subjects from diverse geographic sites. Reactions of > or = 5 mm to one antigen that exceeded the reaction to the other by > or = 3 mm were considered M. avium- or PPD-dominant. PPD-dominant reactions were more frequent at sites where routine Bacille Calmette-Guérin immunization is done or where there are high rates of tuberculosis: New Hampshire, 2%; Boston, 7%; Finland, 14%; Trinidad, 26%; and Kenya, 28%. However, rates of M. avium-dominant reactions ranged from 7% to 12% at all sites. Analysis of dominant reactions based on a more stringent 10-mm minimum reaction size showed similar trends. These data suggest that exposure to MAC is similar in developed and developing countries but that broad mycobacterial immunity is greater in developing countries and may contribute to the lower rates of disseminated MAC infections in AIDS in these areas.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Section, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: von Reyn
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Arbeit
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sox
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Brindle
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Gilks
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hakkarainen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranki
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartholomew
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001900:Boston; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012882:Skin Tests; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago; D014374:Tuberculin Test
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial