title: Markers indicating deterioration of pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection.
abstract: To predict the natural history of pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) infection with nodular bronchiectasis, we retrospectively evaluated clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) findings in 57 patients. The patients received follow-up chest computed tomographic scans and testing for sputum bacteriology between intervals of at least 12 mo. They were divided into two groups after observation for 28 +/- 13 mo: deteriorated (n = 34) and not-deteriorated (n = 23). There were no patients with spontaneous improvement. At the start of observation, the mean age was greater in the deteriorated group (69 +/- 9 yr) than in the not-deteriorated group (57 +/- 9 yr). The mean body-mass index was lower in the deteriorated group (19.2 +/- 3.1 kg/m(2)) than in the not-deteriorated group (21.5 +/- 1.5 kg/m(2)). C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were significantly elevated in the deteriorated group. The BALF findings of the deteriorated group showed that the neutrophil cell counts were significantly increased. Thirty-four of 57 patients with pulmonary MAI infection with nodular bronchiectasis had progressive clinical and/or radiographic disease. The older and thinner patients tended to become worse. Neutrophil-related inflammation associated with a decrease in CD4+ lymphocyte might reflect the progression of pulmonary MAI infection with nodular bronchiectasis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Laboratory Medicine and Radiology, Shinshu University, School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takamizawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein