title: Gender susceptibility to mycobacterial infections in patients with non-CF bronchiectasis.
abstract: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental microbes that cause a variety of diseases both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Epidemiologic data indicate that there has been a global rise in the incidence of NTM infections. It has also been noted that NTM infections have a predilection to occur in postmenopausal women. In a recent study, it was demonstrated that in patients with non-CF bronchiectasis the probability of NTM isolation was significantly higher in elderly female patients and in those with a low body mass index. However, the mechanisms of causality of these gender differences and morpho-phenotypes remain enigmatic. The present study reviews the data and plausible mechanisms which might provide clues to this gender susceptibility and morpho-phenotypes of patients with bronchiectasis and NTM.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirsaeidi
authors.forename: Ruxana T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sadikot
mesh_terms: D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors