Yonsei Med J.  2021 Aug;62(8):702-707. 10.3349/ymj.2021.62.8.702.

The Association between Behavioral Risk Factors and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Institute of Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
We aimed to determine the relationship between environmental exposure and nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in Korea.
Materials and Methods
A group of 150 patients with NTM-PD and a control group of 217 patients with other respiratory diseases were prospectively enrolled between June 2018 and December 2020 in Seoul, Korea. They were surveyed with a standardized questionnaire, and their medical records were reviewed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results
The mean ages of the NTM-PD and control groups were similar (63.8±9.2 years vs. 63.5±10.0 years; p=0.737), and most patients were female (76.0% vs. 68.7%; p=0.157) and nonsmokers (82.0% vs. 72.8%; p=0.021). Mycobacterium avium (49.3%) was the most commonly identified strain among NTM-PD patients, followed by M. intracellulare (32.0%) and M. abscessus subspecies massiliense (12.7%). There were no differences in housing type or frequency of soil- or pet-related exposure between the case and the control groups. However, in subgroup analysis excluding patients with M. intracellulare infection, more case patients frequently visited public baths ≥1 time/week (35.3% vs. 19.4%, p=0.003); this remained significant after multivariate analysis (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.58–5.17).
Conclusion
Frequent exposure to water at public baths might affect the odds of contracting NTM-PD, excluding individuals infected with M. intracellulare strains.

Keyword

Nontuberculous mycobacteria; nontuberculous mycobacterium infection; environmental exposure
Full Text Links
  • YMJ
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr