Survey of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients with mycobacterial infection in Japan

Objective: To assess DNA polymorphisms in mycobacterial isolates obtained from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients with tuberculosis in Japan from 1996 to 2003. Methods: Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium isolates obtained from individual seropositive patients with tuberculosis (n=78) were analysed with the use of IS6110 and (CGG)₅ or IS1245 and IS1311, respectively, as markers. As a control, the same procedures were applied to isolates from HIV-seronegative tuberculosis patients (n=87). Results: Of 86 mycobacterial strains, M. tuberculosis, M. avium and Mycobacterium chelonae were identified in 48 (55.8%), 36 (41.9%) and 2 (2.3%) isolates, respectively. The obtained RFLP patterns of M. tuberculosis isolates from both the HIV-seropositive and -seronegative groups were variable, suggesting no obvious clustering among the isolates. Similar results were obtained in isolates of M. avium. Conclusions: This is the first report on the molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium spp. isolated from HIV-seropositive patients in Japan. The results indicate that no particular clones of M. tuberculosis or M. avium prevail in HIV-seropositive patients in Japan. Further monitoring of mycobacterial infection associated with HIV infection in Japan should be continued.