• Ahmed Gaballah, Abeer Ghazal, Reda Almiry, Rasha Emad, Nadia Sadek, Mohamed Abdel Rahman, and Eglal El-Sherbini.
• Microbiology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
• Med Princ Pract. 2022 Jan 1; 31 (3): 246-253.

Background And ObjectivesImmunocompromised patients are a high-risk group for developing mycobacterial infections with either pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary diseases. Low-cost/density DNA-microarray is considered an easy and efficient method for the detection of typical and atypical mycobacterial species.Materials And MethodsThirty immunocompromised patients were recruited to provide their clinical specimens (sputum, serum, urine, and lymph node aspirates). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA-microarray techniques were performed and compared to the conventional methods of Ziehl-Neelsen staining and Lowenstein Jensen culturing.ResultsMycobacterium tuberculosis complex was detected in all 30 clinical specimens (100% sensitivity) by real-time PCR and DNA-microarray. Additionally, coinfection with 4 atypical species belonging to nontuberculous mycobacteria was identified in 7 sputum specimens. These atypical mycobacterial species were identified as M. kansasii 10% (n = 3), M. avium complex 6.6% (n = 2), M. gordanae 3.3% (n = 1), and M. peregrinum 3.3% (n = 1).ConclusionThis study documents the presence of certain species of atypical mycobacteria among immunocompromised patients in Egypt.© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

23 keywords...

hide…