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Koh, Kwon, Yu, Jeon, Suh, Chung, Kim, Han, Park, and Lee: Recovery Rate of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria from Acid-Fast-Bacilli Smear-Positive Sputum Specimens
Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2003; 54(1): 22-32.

Published online: 31 January 2003

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2003.54.1.22

Recovery Rate of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria from Acid-Fast-Bacilli Smear-Positive Sputum Specimens

Won Jung Koh, M.D., O Jung Kwon, M.D., Chang Min Yu, M.D., Kyeong Man Jeon, M.D., Gee Young Suh, M.D., Man Pyo Chung, M.D., Ho Joong Kim, M.D., Sang Won Han*, Sun Young Park*, Nam Yong Lee, M.D.*

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

*Department of Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Address for correspondence: O Jung Kwon, M.D. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, Republic of Korea. phone: (822) 3410-3429, Fax: (822) 3410-3849, ojkwon@smc.samsung.co.kr

Copyright©2003. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Background

Sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli(AFB) examined microscopically is the most important diagnostic test for pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the AFB observed on the smear may represent either M. tuberculosis or nontuberculous mycobacteria(NTM). This study examined the recovery rate of NTM from the AFB smear-positive sputum specimens in a tertiary hospital in Korea.

Materials and Methods

This study analyzed the results for the 1,889 AFB smear-positive and culture-positive sputum specimens collected from 844 patients from July, 1997 to December, 2001.

Results

The 1,889 sputum specimens collected from 844 patients tested positive on both microscopy and culture during the 4.5 years. The NTM were recovered from 10.3%(195/1,889) of the smear-positive sputum specimens and 11.0%(93/844) of patients with smear-positive sputum. The NTM were isolated more than two times in 44.1%(41/93) of the patients from whom the NTM was recovered. Trends of the recovery rate of the NTM from the AFB smear-positive sputum specimens were increasing from 6.5%(17/262) in the latter half of 1997 to 17.8%(36/202) in the latter half of 2001 (p<0.001, test for trend).

Conclusions

These results suggest that some patients with AFB smear-positive sputum have NTM pulmonary disease rather than pulmonary tuberculosis in Korea.

Keywords: Pulmonary tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Atypical mycobacteria, Sputum, Microbiology, Korea

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