Mycobacterium heckeshornense Lung Infection that was Diagnosed as Mycobacterium xenopi Disease by DNA-DNA Hybridization (DDH)

Abstract

The DNA sequencing analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, rpoB and hsp65 were conducted to characterize six strains that had been identified as Mycobacterium xenopi by DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) for past ten years in our hospital. The results revealed Mycobacterium heckeshornense infection in one of the six cases. A 47-year-old man, who had been treated for pneumonia, had pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease. The sputa from the patient were culture positive for mycobacterium in three times. And it was diagnosed as M. xenopi by DDH method. Chest X-ray showed fibrocavitary lesion in right upper lobe was successfully treated with clarithromycin for four weeks.

Miliary pulmonary nodules due to Mycobacterium xenopi in a steroid-induced immunocompromised patient successfully treated with chemotherapy: a case report

“…Later, the culture of sputum and bronchial lavage obtained mycobacterium colonies, and the isolates from both samples were identified as M. xenopi by DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH). Since patients infected with M. heckeshornense may have been included in the cases that were diagnosed as M. xenopi disease by DDH, we reconfirmed that the isolate from bronchial lavage was M. xenopi by sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene, rpoB and hsp65 [ 6 ]. After the final diagnosis of M. xenopi pulmonary infection was established, we changed the quadruple therapy to treatment with RFP (450 mg/day), EB (750 mg/day) and clarithromycin (CAM) (800 mg/day).…”

First case of Mycobacterium heckeshornense cavitary lung disease in the Latin America and Caribbean region

“…M. heckeshornense was first reported in 2000 as a pathogenic, slowly growing scotochromogenic mycobacterium, phylogenetically related to Mycobacterium xenopi , that caused a bilateral cavitary lung disease in an immunocompetent patient [2] . Since then, a limited number of cases were reported in humans, some of them involving severe pulmonary infections [3] , [4] , [5] often identified as M. xenopi and also involving extrapulmonary infections [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] .…”

Recurrent rheumatoid pleural effusions complicated by Mycobacterium heckeshornense infection

“…It was first identified in 2000 in a patient with severe cavitary pulmonary disease [ 2 ]. It is similar to Mycobacterium xenopi but has a distinct 16S rRNA and 16S-23S spacer gene sequence and has been mistaken for M. xenopi using DNA-DNA hybridization methods [ 3 ].…”