Early chemotherapy for non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the response rate to antimycobacterial drug therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffering from infection by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).


METHODS
Ten patients, aged 10-34 y, out of 180 CF patients, were diagnosed with NTM disease. They had been regularly checked and examined for pulmonary symptoms, and had had chest X-rays and sputum cultures (including for mycobacteria) performed. One additional 36-y-old female received her CF diagnosis soon after the NTM diagnosis.


RESULTS
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) was found in 10 out of 11 patients and M. kansasii in 1 patient. Treatment with antimycobacterial drugs resulted in clinical improvement (weight gain or stabilization of weight and/or improved or stabilized lung function in 8 out of 11 patients) and mycobacterial culture turned negative in 10 out of 1.


CONCLUSIONS
Promising results may be associated with early intervention with antimycobacterial therapy in CF patients.
Forslöw
U
U
Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Medicine, Stockholm CF Centre , Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. ulrica.forslow@hs.se
Geborek
A
A
Hjelte
L
L
Petrini
B
B
Heurlin
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000583:Amikacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D019909:Mycobacterium kansasii / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012293:Rifampin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D000583:Amikacin; D004977:Ethambutol; D017291:Clarithromycin; D012293:Rifampin; D013307:Streptomycin