Incidence of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Infection, by Ethnic Group, Hawaii, USA, 2005–2019

Abstract

I n the United States, studies have indicated that risk for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) differs by geographic location and ethnic group (1). Nontuberculous mycobacteria are environmental bacteria that are widespread in soil and water and can be acquired through the natural or built environment (2). Nationally, disease prevalence is highest in the southeastern United States and Hawaii (1,3), and disease is associated with selected environmental conditions (2), as well as with higher mycobacterial abundance in household plumbing (4). However, independent of geographic region, estimated prevalence is 2-fold higher among persons who self-identify as Asian/ Pacific Islander than among those who self-identify as White (1). The incidence and prevalence of NTM infection and disease are increasing in the United States (5), and testing and positivity rates are highest among persons who self-identify as Asian (6); prevalence is also increasing in Hawaii ( 7) and the US-affiliated Pacific Islands (8).Persons classified as Asian/Pacific Islander represent diverse populations, and aggregating these subpopulations may mask substantial heterogeneity (9). In a prior study in Hawaii, we identified substantial disparities in NTM pulmonary infection (NTM-PI) risk within Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) populations (7). To clarify ethnic disparities in NTM-PI risk, and particularly the role of BMI and other potential confounding factors among Asian/Pacific Islander populations, we conducted a retrospective cohort study among Kaiser Permanente Hawaii (KPH) beneficiaries. This research was approved by the KPH Institutional Review Board and was classified as nonhuman subjects research by the National Institutes of Health Office of Human Subjects Research Protection. Methods Study PopulationWe abstracted demographic, clinical, and microbiological data from KPH electronic health records (EHRs) for the years 2005-2019. We included beneficiaries for each year in which they were enrolled

Comparison of efficacies of different treatments for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in Anhui Province, China

“…These observations may be partly explained by the fact that men tend to have higher numbers of daily contacts with soil than women [19]. Furthermore, more than half of NTMPD patients exhibited marasmus, as consistent with observations reported by Blakney et al [20], while a large proportion of our patients suffered from hypoproteinemia and anaemia. Taken together, these findings suggest a possible relationship between nutritional status and development of NTMPD [21].…”

The Evolution in Pharmacology of Infectious Diseases: 2022

“…Although not posing an immediate life-threatening risk, these infections can result in significant morbidity and adversely affect the quality of life for affected individuals. Notably, there has been a global increase in reported cases of superficial NTM infections (Mei et al, 2019;Philips et al, 2019;Gopalaswamy et al, 2020) with contributing factors including the expanding population of immunocompromised individuals (Blakney et al, 2022;Toth et al, 2022) who face heightened susceptibility during injury or cosmetic procedures (Ahmed et al, 2020;Wang C. J. et al, 2022;Ni et al, 2023). Furthermore, the rise in NTM infections can be attributed, in part, to the ongoing adaptation of NTM to the human host.…”

Prominent transcriptomic changes in Mycobacterium intracellulare under acidic and oxidative stress

“…Most NTM are non-pathogenic to humans, but some species cause infection in patients with immunocompromised conditions and structural lung disease [ 2 – 4 ]. The incidence and prevalence of NTM infections have steadily increased over the last several decades and emerged as a significant global public health concern [ 5 – 8 ]. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), including Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare , is the most common causative agent of NTM-lung disease in the world and affects susceptible populations with certain risk factors such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, autoimmune disease, and aging [ 9 ].…”