Disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in AIDS is associated with high tissue burdens (10(9)-10(10) mycobacteria/g tissue) of organism. The basis for the extraordinary susceptibility of AIDS to M. avium infection is unclear. HIV or its constituents may alter mononuclear phagocyte functions resulting in enhanced intracellular M. avium growth. The effects of an envelope glycoprotein (gp120), ...

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is involved in innate immunity toward various infectious diseases. Concerning bacteria, HDL is known to bind to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to neutralize its physiological activity. On the other hand, cholesterol is known to play an important role in mycobacterial entry into host cells and in survival in the intracellular environment. However, the pathogenicity o...

The past several years have witnessed an upsurge of genomic data pertaining to the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Despite clear advances, problems with the detection of MAC persist, spanning the tests that can be used, samples required for their validation, and the use of appropriate nomenclature. Additionally, the amount of genomic variability documented to date greatly outstrips the funct...

Mycobacterium avium infection is a severe condition in humans, whereas pigs are often subclinically infected. Pig carcasses represent a possible source of human infection. Faecal excretion of M. avium was recently demonstrated in experimentally infected pigs, along with detection of M. avium in apparently normal lymph nodes. The present study investigates faecal excretion in naturally infected ...

Forty-five mycobacterial strains isolated from 23 Colombian HIV-positive patients were identified as members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and were characterized using different molecular approaches. Seven of the isolates showed characteristic features that allowed them to be differentiated from other members of the complex. The isolates had a novel 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed ...

BACKGROUND Non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, most commonly caused by Mycobacterium avium infection, tends to show variable disease progression, and significant disease predictors have not been adequately established. METHODS Variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTR) were evaluated in 16 mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) loci from M avium isolates cultured from respir...

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolates at University Hospital, Reference Center for Aids in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during one year. We used standard biochemical tests for species identification and IS1245 PCR amplification was applied as a Mycobacterium avium specific identification marker. Four hundred and four specimens from 233 p...

Of 207 homosexual or bisexual patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), 24 with the AIDS related complex, and 39 with asymptomatic HIV infection, 32 patients were found to have mycobacterial infection. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in 13 patients with AIDS and in two with the AIDS related complex. M avium-intracellulare was found in 15 patients with AIDS and was disse...

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (M. ap), the causative agent of Johne's disease, infects many farmed ruminants, wild-life animals, and recently isolated from humans. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of these infections, we analyzed the whole-genome sequences of several M. ap and M. avium subspecies avium (M. avium) isolates to gain insights into genomic diversity ...