Dipartimento Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2023 Apr-Jun;59(2):132-138. doi: 10.4415/ANN_23_02_06.
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental mycobacteria which may cause pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. These organisms are difficult to treat due to their intrinsic drug-resistance. In Italy, no major nationwide study on NTM epidemiology and drug susceptibility was performed.
Data on the epidemiology of 7,469 NTM clinical isolates identified in Italy in 2016-2020 and on the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1,506 of these strains were analysed.
Overall, 63 species were identified in 42 hospital laboratories located in 16 out of 20 regions, with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) being the most frequently isolated, followed by M. gordonae, M. xenopi, M. abscessus. The MICs of 12 drugs for MAC, M. xenopi, M. kansasii, M. abscessus, M. fortuitum and M. chelonae were interpreted for clinical significance (susceptible, intermediate, resistant) based on the guidelines published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute in November 2018.
Our data are in line with other nationwide studies and may be of value for further update of microbiological and clinical guidelines.
非结核分枝杆菌（NTM）是环境分枝杆菌，可引起肺部和肺外疾病。由于其固有耐药性，这些生物很难治疗。在意大利，尚未进行关于 NTM 流行病学和药物敏感性的主要全国性研究。
对 2016-2020 年在意大利鉴定的 7469 株 NTM 临床分离株的流行病学数据和其中 1506 株的最低抑菌浓度（MIC）进行了分析。
总体而言，在 20 个地区中的 16 个地区的 42 家医院实验室中鉴定出了 63 个种，其中最常分离到的是鸟分枝杆菌复合体（MAC），其次是戈登分枝杆菌、非洲分枝杆菌、脓肿分枝杆菌。根据 2018 年 11 月临床和实验室标准协会发布的指南，对 MAC、非洲分枝杆菌、堪萨斯分枝杆菌、脓肿分枝杆菌、偶然分枝杆菌和龟分枝杆菌的 12 种药物的 MIC 进行了临床意义（敏感、中介、耐药）的解释。
我们的数据与其他全国性研究一致，可能对进一步更新微生物学和临床指南具有重要价值。
