Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Macrolide-Resistant Mycobacterium massiliense Lung Disease

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Abstract
Macrolide antibiotics are cornerstones in the treatment of Mycobacterium massiliense lung disease. Despite the emergence of resistance, limited data on macrolide-resistant M . massiliense lung disease are available. This study evaluated the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients and the molecular characteristics of macrolide-resistant M . massiliense isolates. We performed a retrospective review of medical records and genetic analyses of clinical isolates from 15 patients who had macrolide-resistant M . massiliense lung disease between September 2005 and February 2015. Nine patients (60%) had the nodular bronchiectatic form of the disease, and six (40%) had the fibrocavitary form. Before the detection of macrolide resistance, three patients (20%) were treated with macrolide monotherapy, four (27%) with therapy for presumed Mycobacterium avium complex infections, and eight (53%) with combination antibiotic therapy for M . massiliense lung disease. The median treatment duration after the detection of resistance was 18.7 months (interquartile range, 11.2 to 39.8 months). Treatment outcomes were poor, with a favorable outcome being achieved for only one patient (7%), who underwent surgery in addition to antibiotic therapy. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year mortality rates were 7, 13, and 33%, respectively. Of the 15 clinical isolates, 14 (93%) had point mutations at position 2058 ( n = 9) or 2059 ( n = 5) of the 23S rRNA gene, resulting in macrolide resistance. Our study indicates that treatment outcomes are poor and mortality rates are high after the development of macrolide resistance in patients with M . massiliense lung disease. Thus, preventing the development of macrolide resistance should be a key consideration during treatment.
Funding Information
  • National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2015R1A2A1A01003959)
  • Korea Health Industry Development Institute (HI15C2778)

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