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Biomedical subjects

M D Yates

Publications and source records attributed to M D Yates.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium complex isolated from patients with and without AIDS in Brazil and England.

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is ubiquitous throughout the world. It is an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients but the number of cases in HIV negative patients is also increasing. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients were being infected with different MAC strains or whether one strain was dominant. DNA obtained from isolates in Brazil and England were compared using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Strains from 22 Brazilian patients clustered into 7 groups but 68/90 patients had a unique strain. In all patients, Brazilian and English, the same strain was isolated repeatedly over time, some over several years. This study shows that it is most likely that Man is infected from the environment and that one strain can survive without change for many years both in the environment and in Man.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Comparison of three molecular assays for rapid detection of rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging problem of great importance to public health, with higher mortality rates than drug-sensitive TB, particularly in immunocompromised patients. MDR-TB patients require treatment with more-toxic second-line drugs and remain infectious for longer than patients infected with drug-sensitive strains, incurring higher costs due to prolonged hospitalization. It is estimated that 90% of United Kingdom rifampin-resistant isolates are also resistant to isoniazid, making rifampin resistance a useful surrogate marker for multidrug resistance and indicating that second- and third-line drugs to which these isolates are susceptible are urgently required. Resistance in approximately 95% of rifampin-resistant isolates is due to mutations in a 69-bp region of the rpoB gene, making this a good target for molecular genotypic diagnostic methods. Two molecular assays, INNO-LiPA Rif.TB (Innogenetics, Zwijndrecht, Belgium) and MisMatch Detect II (Ambion, Austin, Tex.), were performed on primary specimens and cultures to predict rifampin resistance, and these methods were compared with the resistance ratio method. A third method, the phenotypic PhaB assay, was also evaluated in comparison to cultures in parallel with the genotypic assays. In an initial evaluation 16 of 16, 15 of 16, and 16 of 16 rifampin-resistant cultures (100, 93.8, and 100%, respectively), were correctly identified by line probe assay (LiPA), mismatch assay, and PhaB assay, respectively. Subsequently 38 sputa and bronchealveolar lavage specimens and 21 isolates were received from clinicians for molecular analysis. For the 38 primary specimens the LiPA and mismatch assay correlated with culture and subsequent identification and susceptibility tests in 36 and 38 specimens (94.7 and 100%), respectively. For the 21 isolates submitted by clinicians, both assays correlated 100% with routine testing.

Antibiotics, Antitubercular

Isolation of environmental mycobacteria from clinical specimens in south-east England: 1973-1993.

SETTING: A reference centre for tuberculosis bacteriology serving South-East England. OBJECTIVE: The number of cultures of environmental mycobacteria (EM) submitted to regional and reference laboratories in the UK is increasing, and is adding considerably to the workload of these laboratories. The changing trends in the numbers and nature of EM submitted to the Dulwich Public Health Laboratory Regional Tuberculosis Centre (RTC), have been analysed to establish the nature of the increase. DESIGN: This study is based on all cultures of EM submitted to RTC between 1973 and 1993. The cultures were grouped according to year of first isolation, number of isolates and data supplied by the client laboratories, including age and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status of the patients and the anatomical sites from which the mycobacteria were isolated. RESULTS: A total of 9379 EM from 6668 patients was received. Single and multiple isolates were received, respectively, from 4681 and 1192 patients not known to be HIV positive and from 477 and 318 who were known to be HIV positive. The annual number of patients not known to be HIV positive with isolates of probable clinical significance increased steadily from less than 40 in 1973 to over 100 per year since 1990. Isolates of doubtful clinical significance also showed an increase over time. The annual numbers from HIV positive patients increased steeply following the first such isolates in 1984. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that the annual number of isolates of EM from both HIV positive and negative patients is increasing both absolutely and relatively to isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This trend should be considered when planning the future scope and activities of mycobacterium reference laboratories, including the introduction of new DNA-based diagnostic methods.

Body Fluids

Factors determining ethnic differences in the incidence of bacteriologically confirmed genitourinary tuberculosis in south east England.

In South East England, genitourinary (GU) tuberculosis is a much less common manifestation of non-respiratory tuberculosis in patients of Indian subcontinent (ISC) ethnic origin than in those of European ethnic origin. When considered in relation to all bacteriologically confirmed cases of tuberculosis, both respiratory and non-respiratory, the ethnic difference in the occurrence of GU tuberculosis is much less evident, while there is a highly significant excess of other forms of non-respiratory tuberculosis among the ethnic ISC patients. Unlike other forms of non-respiratory tuberculosis, GU disease tends to occur in an older age range in the ethnic ISC population and, when stratified for age, the ethnic difference in the occurrence of this form of tuberculosis is not significant while that of lymph node tuberculosis remains significantly high. Thus, after elimination of the confounding factor of age, the occurrence of GU tuberculosis is very similar in the two ethnic groups while other forms of non-respiratory tuberculosis differ considerably.

Adult

A new group (type 3) of Mycobacterium celatum isolated from AIDS patients in the London area.

We describe a new group (type 3) of the recently proposed species Mycobacterium celatum isolated from eight patients with AIDS in London, England. Sequences of genes coding for 16S rRNA (EMBL accession no. Z46664) showed a divergence of 17 bases from M. celatum type 2 reference isolates and a divergence of 7 bases from M. celatum type 1 reference isolates. A reference strain is available (NCTC 12882).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Bacteriologically confirmed non-tuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis in south east England: a recent increase in the number of cases.

The annual numbers of cases of non-tuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis in south east England has increased over the period 1973 to 1993, most notably during the last few years. The most frequent cause is the Mycobacterium avium complex, followed by M malmoense. The reason for the increase is unknown but it could be due to an increased awareness in mycobacterial disease, an external factor such as pollution, or both.

Adolescent

Zoonotic aspects of Mycobacterium bovis infection.

The bovine tuberculosis eradication campaigns in many industrially developed countries have led to a huge reduction in the incidence of human tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Overt disease in man may, however, manifest decades after the initial infection and the occurrence of such disease raises several important questions. In particular, it is important to determine whether man-to-man transmission occurs, thereby rendering man a continuing reservoir of infection, and whether, if this is the case, man develops infectious forms of tuberculosis that enable M. bovis to be transmitted back to cattle. Epidemiological studies in South East England indicate that human tuberculosis due to M. bovis is rare and that the incidence is declining. In contrast to earlier days, the lung is now involved in many cases, raising the possibility of transmission of bacilli to other human beings and to cattle by the aerogenous route. No direct evidence of man-to-man transmission of overt disease was found but it is possible that inapparent primary pulmonary infections are occurring and these may proceed to overt post-primary disease in the future. The genito-urinary tract is now the most prevalent site of non-pulmonary lesions and there is firm evidence that this form of tuberculosis poses a hazard to cattle. Though uncommon, human tuberculosis due to M. bovis is still a public health problem of concern to both the medical and veterinary professions and there is a need to maintain careful bacteriological surveillance.

Animals

A case report of Mycobacterium chelonae keratitis and a review of mycobacterial infections of the eye and orbit.

Mycobacteria are unusual causes of keratitis and other ocular infections but the outcome of infection is often serious. We report a case of keratitis due to Mycobacterium chelonae, a rapidly growing environmental mycobacterium, in a soft contact-lens wearer, and discuss the difficulty and delay in identifying the organism, twice erroneously identified as Nocardia asteroides on morphological grounds. Despite in vitro susceptibility, the response to anti-bacterial agents was negligible and a second keratoplasty was required after a recurrence of disease at the donor-host junction. We review the role of mycobacteria as the cause of keratitis and other forms of ocular disease.

Adult

Single and double drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium avium complex and mycobacteria other than the tubercle (MOTT) bacilli by a micro-dilution broth minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method.

SETTING: The incidence of Mycobacterioses is increasing annually, especially in patients with AIDS. There is no clear correlation between in vitro drug susceptibility testing of mycobacteria other than the tubercle (MOTT) bacilli and the in vivo response. Although in vitro, MOTT bacilli appear resistant, some patients respond to treatment possibly as a result of a synergistic action between the drugs being used. OBJECTIVE: To produce a simple method to determine which individual drugs or combinations of drugs will be effective in killing the causative organism. DESIGN: A broth microdilution method, using microtitre plates, was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the drugs alone and then in combination. RESULTS: It was found that the MIC values of the test drugs varied between but were constant within each of the species. Mycobacterium xenopi, M. malmoense and M. kansasii showed a large amount of susceptibility while M. avium complex, M. fortuitum and M. chelonae were limited in their response. These results were reproducible. The test was also easy to perform. The drug combination studies showed that each strain of the M. avium complex tested exhibited synergy between different combinations of drugs. CONCLUSION: This method, therefore, can be used to indicate individual or combinations of drugs that will or will not act upon the Mycobacterium species isolated. The method was also very rapid, giving a result within 7 days.

Antibiotics, Antitubercular

A bacteriological survey of tuberculosis due to the human tubercle bacillus (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in south-east England: 1984-91.

The occurrence and nature of bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in South-East England in the period 1984-91 is reported and compared with the results of a study for 1977-83. Registered new cases reached a low of 1028 in 1988 but increased to 1252 in 1991. This appeared to be due to a halt in the previous decline in new cases of European patients, a small increase in the number of Indian subcontinent (ISC) patients and an increase in patients from Africa. A total of 122 patients, mostly of European ethnic origin, were known to be HIV positive. As in the 1977-83 study, disease in the ISC group affected younger patients than in the European group, tubercle bacilli were more frequently isolated from a non-pulmonary site in the ISC group (45%) than in the European group (19%) and there was a higher incidence of the South Indian variant of M. tuberculosis in the former group (17%) than in the latter (9%). The overall incidence of drug resistance has not altered significantly since the 1977-83 study but 46 strains resistant to 3 or more drugs were isolated from 4099 ISC patients, compared with 3 of 4594 strains from European patients. Six of the 122 isolates from HIV positive patients were drug-resistant but none was multi-drug resistant. The slight rise in registered bacteriologically proven cases of tuberculosis, the presence of multi-drug resistant strains, the occurrence of HIV-related tuberculosis and reports of the emergence of multi-drug-resistant HIV-related tuberculosis in other countries strongly indicate the need for continued careful surveillance.

Adolescent

Isolation of mycobacteria from patients seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in south east England: 1984-92.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections are well recognised complications of HIV infection and surveillance is thus required. METHODS: All mycobacteria isolated from HIV positive subjects and referred to the Public Health Laboratory Service South East Regional Tuberculosis Centre (SERTC) from the first such case in 1984 until the end of 1992 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 803 mycobacteria isolated from 727 HIV positive subjects were referred to the SERTC during the study period. A single species was isolated from 660 patients: 150 members of the tuberculosis complex (146 M tuberculosis, two M bovis, and two M africanum), 356 M avium-intracellulare (MAI), and 154 other environmental mycobacteria. More than one mycobacterium was isolated from 67 patients. In 12 cases M tuberculosis and MAI were isolated from the same patient, almost always in that sequence, with an interval of 8-41 months between isolations. Most of the 407 isolates of MAI (74%) were considered to be clinically significant and often caused disseminated disease. In other cases single isolates of MAI were obtained from sputum or faeces and occasionally such isolates preceded disseminated disease by several months. Only 33 (14%) of the 229 isolates of environmental mycobacteria other than MAI were considered clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: HIV related mycobacterial disease is increasing in incidence in south east England. Further studies are required to determine the significance of single isolates of MAI and other environmental mycobacteria as a guide to the need for preventive chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

Rapid detection of tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria by polymerase chain reaction amplification of a 162 bp DNA fragment from antigen 85.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for detection of mycobacteria using amplification of a 162 bp region of the genes coding for the mycobacterial antigen 85 complex. Strains belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex were further differentiated from non-tuberculous mycobacteria by hybridization of the PCR derived Southern blot with an internal oligonucleotide probe and washing under stringent conditions. The method allowed rapid and sensitive detection of mycobacterial DNA in uncultured clinical samples. PCR results obtained for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 206 specimens from 180 untreated patients gave a sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 94.3% compared with the culture. PCR detected DNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in seven samples from patients with clinically evident tuberculosis in whom culture was negative. The results suggest that this PCR assay could be used for early and specific diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Antigens, Bacterial

Survey of mycobacteria isolated from urine and the genitourinary tract in south-east England from 1980 to 1989.

Between 1980 and 1989, the Public Health Laboratory Service Regional Tuberculosis Centre, Dulwich, received cultures of mycobacteria isolated from urine and the genitourinary tract of 1392 new patients: 803 isolates were members of the tuberculosis complex (753 M. tuberculosis, 45 M. bovis, 4 M. africanum) and 589 were various species of environmental mycobacteria. The incidence of the latter isolations varied by region and by year and, with 17 exceptions (13 from endometrial curettings, 2 from hydrocele fluid, 1 from a scrotal abscess and 1 from a kidney), all isolations of environmental mycobacteria were from urine; very few of them appeared to be clinically significant. Those that could be significant included 1 isolate from a kidney, 1 from a post-renal transplant patient and 4 from patients with AIDS, 3 of whom had disseminated mycobacterial disease. Reports of clinically significant isolations of environmental mycobacteria from the genitourinary tract are reviewed.

England