title: High Mortality of Disseminated Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infection in HIV-Infected Patients in the Antiretroviral Therapy Era.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little information is available on the mortality and risk factors associated with death in disseminated non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection (dNTM) in HIV-infected patients in the ART-era.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single-center study, HIV-infected dNTM with positive NTM culture from sterile sites between 2000 and 2013 were analysed. The clinical characteristics at commencement of anti-mycobacterial treatment (baseline) were compared between those who survived and died.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients were analyzed. [The median CD4 27/μL (range 2-185)]. Mycobacterium avium and M. intracellulare accounted for 20 (83%) and 3 (13%) of isolated NTM. NTM bacteremia was diagnosed in 15 (63%) patients. Seven (29%) patients died, and NTM bacteremia was significantly associated with mortality (p = 0.022). The baseline CD4 count was significantly lower in the non-survivors than the survivors (median 7/μL versus 49, p = 0.034). Concomitant AIDS-defining diseases or malignancies were not associated with mortality. Immune-reconstitution syndrome (IRS) occurred to 19 (79%) patients (8 paradoxical and 11 unmasking), and prognosis tended to be better in unmasking-IRS than the other patients (n = 13) (p = 0.078). Patients with paradoxical-IRS had marginally lower CD4 count and higher frequency of bacteremia than those with unmasking-IRS (p = 0.051, and 0.059). Treatment with systemic corticosteroids was applied in 63% and 55% of patients with paradoxical and unmasking-IRS, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  dNTM in HIV-infected patients resulted in high mortality even in the ART-era. NTM bacteremia and low CD4 count were risk factors for death, whereas patients presented with unmasking-IRS had marginally better prognosis. IRS occurred in 79% of the patients, suggesting difficulty in the management of dNTM.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teruya
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.|Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.affiliation: AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.|Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gatanaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents