title: Nontuberculous mycobacteria among pulmonary tuberculosis patients: a retrospective Belgian multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, there are no European data about the frequency and clinical significance of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) grown from respiratory samples during the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). We determined the frequency and clinical significance of NTM isolated before or during pulmonary tuberculosis treatment in Belgian laboratories.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a nationwide retrospective multicenter cohort study on the co-isolation of TB and NTM in Belgium. Starting from laboratory data between 2006 and 2013, possible TB-NTM co-isolations were searched for.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2569 unique culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases were included in the study. Only 35 (1.4%) of these TB cases had an NTM co-isolated, and two of these 35 fulfilled the ATS criteria for NTM lung disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A very low prevalence of 1.4% NTM co-isolations was found in Belgian patients with culture-proven pulmonary TB.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Microbiology and Infection Control , University Hospital Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Keukeleire
authors.affiliation: b National Reference Centre of Tuberculosis and Mycobacteria, Communicable and Infectious Diseases , Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP) , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mathys
authors.affiliation: c Iris-Lab, Department of Microbiology , Iris-Brussels Public Hospitals Network , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Sigi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van den Wijngaert
authors.affiliation: d Department of Microbiology , ZNA Hospitals , Antwerp , Belgium.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van De Vyvere
authors.affiliation: e Clinical Laboratory of Microbiology , OLVZ Aalst , Aalst , Belgium.
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jonckheere
authors.affiliation: e Clinical Laboratory of Microbiology , OLVZ Aalst , Aalst , Belgium.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Beenhouwer
authors.affiliation: f Department of Microbiology , AZ Groeninge , Kortrijk , Belgium.
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Bel
authors.affiliation: g Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association BELTA , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arrazola de Onate
authors.affiliation: g Belgian Lung and Tuberculosis Association BELTA , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wanlin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Microbiology and Infection Control , University Hospital Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piérard
authors.affiliation: h Department of Microbiology , AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Ostend AV , Bruges , Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nulens
authors.affiliation: i Department of Laboratory Medicine , UZ Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.|j Department of Microbiology and Immunology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Veroniek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saegeman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D060085:Coinfection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Belgium; Multicenter study; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; Nontuberculous mycobacteria