title: Mycobacterium arupense in Cancer Patients: An Emerging Infection or a Commensal Organism.
abstract: Mycobacterium arupense is a slow-growing, nonchromogenic, acid-fast bacillus. Its clinical spectrum, epidemiology, and frequency of colonization versus true infection remain unknown. We evaluated the clinical significance of M arupense and positive cultures from cancer patients.We retrospectively reviewed records of all cancer patients treated at our institution between 2007 and 2014 to identify those who had positive cultures for M arupense. Mycobacterium arupense was identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA and hsp65 genes. A total of 53 patients had positive cultures, 100% of which were isolated from respiratory specimens. Of these, 7 patients met the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America criteria for a definitive diagnosis of M arupense infection, 14 cases were considered to be probable infections, and 29 cases were considered to be possible infections. Of the included patients, 13 received therapy for M arupense infection and 40 did not.The outcomes of treated and untreated patients did not differ significantly. No relapses of M arupense infection. In addition, there were no M arupense-related deaths in either group.In cancer patients, M arupense appears to be mostly a commensal organism rather than a pathogen. Patients who did or did not receive treatment had similar outcomes. Validation of these findings in a larger prospective trial is warranted.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Zainab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Al Hamal
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Ray Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Hachem
authors.forename: Hussain M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Alawami
authors.forename: Abdussalam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alburki
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousif
authors.forename: Poonam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deshmukh
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ann-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chaftari
authors.forename: Issam I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Raad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000382:microbiology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult