ABSTRACT Tuberculosis is an infectious disease of global importance with major economic and social burden accounting for 25% of all avoidable deaths in developing countries. Extrapulmonary involvement may occur either in association with clinically apparent pulmonary tuberculosis or in isolation. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to evaluate the impact of ocular tuberculosis in visual acuity at baseline and after two months of intensive anti-tuberculous therapy. A sample of 133 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, seven disseminated tuberculosis, and three pleural tuberculosis patients was evaluated. All patients underwent routine ophthalmic evaluation, including assessment of visual acuity, biomicroscopy, applanation tonometry, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescent angiography as appropriate. None of the patients had impaired visual acuity due to tuberculosis. A rate of 4.2% (6/143) of ocular involvement was found. None of the patients with ocular involvement were HIV-infected. Of the six patients with ocular involvement, five met the diagnostic criteria for probable and one for possible ocular lesions. As for the type of ocular lesions, two patients had bilateral findings: one had sclerouveitis and the second had choroidal nodules. The other four patients presented with unilateral lesions: peripheral retinal artery occlusion in the right eye (one case), choroidal nodules in the left eye (one case), and choroidal nodules in the right eye (two cases). Patients progressed favorably after two month of intensive therapy, with no significant reduction in vision.

OBJETIVO: Determinar os principais efeitos adversos causados pelo esquema de tratamento da tuberculose preconizado pelo Ministério da Saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo e prospectivo envolvendo 79 pacientes com tuberculose tratados no Centro de Pesquisa Clínica do Hospital Universitário Cassiano Antônio Moraes, no município de Vitória, ES, entre 2003 e 2006. O regime de tratamento consistiu em isoniazida, rifampicina, pirazinamida e etambutol por quatro meses, seguido de rifampicina e isoniazida por dois meses. Durante o tratamento, os pacientes foram clinicamente avaliados todas as semanas e tinham uma visita médica mensal. RESULTADOS: A incidência geral de efeitos adversos foi de 83,54%. O envolvimento articular/ósseo/muscular e o envolvimento cutâneo foram mais frequentes (24,94% e 22,09%, respectivamente). Os eventos adversos foram mais comuns no segundo mês de tratamento (41,59%). Não houve necessidade de modificação do esquema de tratamento. Apenas 1 paciente necessitou de medicação para amenizar os efeitos adversos. A taxa de cura foi de 100%. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de alta, a incidência de efeitos adversos com o novo esquema de tratamento preconizado pelo Ministério da Saúde não exigiu a modificação do esquema de tratamento, que foi eficaz.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the principal adverse effects of the tuberculosis treatment regimen recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. METHODS: A prospective descriptive study involving 79 tuberculosis patients treated at the Clinical Research Center of the Cassiano Antonio Moraes University Hospital, in the city of Vitória, Brazil, between 2003 and 2006. The treatment regimen consisted of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for four months, followed by rifampicin and isoniazid for two months. During the treatment period, the patients were clinically evaluated every week and had a monthly medical visit. RESULTS: The overall incidence of adverse effects was 83.54%. Articular/bone/muscle involvement was the most common, followed by skin involvement (24.94% and 22.09%, respectively). Adverse effects were more common in the second month of treatment (41.59%). Modification of the treatment regimen was unnecessary. One patient required concomitant medication to counter the adverse effects. The cure rate was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of adverse effects related to the new treatment regimen recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health was high. However, none of those effects demanded a change in the regimen, which was effective in the patients evaluated.

OBJETIVO: Comparar os resultados de cura por tuberculose entre pacientes supervisionados pelo membro familiar e pelo profissional de saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectiva de 171 pacientes de Vitória, ES, no período de 2004 a 2007. Cada paciente foi acompanhado por seis meses até a finalização do tratamento. Dos pacientes estudados, 59 pacientes tratados eram supervisionados por um membro familiar e 112 pelos profissionais de saúde. Foram avaliados dados sociodemográficos e clínicos dos pacientes. Diferenças entre os grupos de estudo foram avaliadas utilizando o teste qui-quadrado ou teste t de Student ao nivel de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos sujeitos do estudo apresentaram bacioscopia positiva e cultura confirmada para tuberculose. Dois pacientes tinham sorologia positiva para HIV. Um número maior de pacientes no grupo supervisionado por profissionais de saúde não eram alfabetizados, comparado com aqueles pacientes do grupo supervisionado por membros familiares (p = 0,01). Todos os pacientes supervisionados por um familiar foram curados, frente a 90% dos pacientes supervisionados pelos profissionais de saúde (p=0,024). CONCLUSÕES: O sucesso do tratamento de tuberculose foi maior quando supervisionado por um familiar.

OBJECTIVE: To compare tuberculosis cure rates among patients supervised by household members or health care workers. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 171 patients treated by the program in Vitoria, Southeastern Brazil, from 2004 to 2007. Each patient was followed-up for six months until the end of the treatment. Of the patients studied, a household member supervised 59 patients and healthcare workers supervised 112 patients. Patients' sociodemographic and clinic data were analyzed. Differences between groups were assessed using chi-square test or Student's t-test. Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Most patients had smear positive, culture confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Two patients were HIV-positive. There were more illiterate patients in the healthcare-supervised group, in comparison to those supervised by their families (p=0.01). All patients supervised by a household member were cured compared to 90% of the patients supervised by health care workers (p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Successful tuberculosis treatment was more frequent when supervised by household members.

OBJETIVO: Comparar los resultados de cura por tuberculosis entre pacientes supervisados por ele miembro familiar y por el profesional de salud. MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo de 171 pacientes de Vitória, sureste de Brasil, en el período de 2004 a 2007. Cada paciente fue acompañado por seis meses hasta la finalización del tratamiento. De los pacientes estudiados, 59 pacientes tratados eran supervisados por un miembro familiar y 112 por los profesionales de salud. Fueron evaluados datos sociodemográficos y clínicos de los pacientes. Diferencias entre los grupos de estudio fueron evaluadas utilizando la prueba Chi-cuadrado o prueba t de Student al nivel de significancia de 5%. RESULTADOS: La mayoría de los sujetos de estudio presentaron bacioscopia positiva y cultivo confirmado para tuberculosis. Dos pacientes tenían serología positiva para HIV. Un número mayor de pacientes en el grupo supervisado por profesionales de salud no eran alfabetizados, comparado con aquellos pacientes del grupo supervisado por miembros familiares (p=0,01). Todos los pacientes supervisados por un familiar fueron curados, frente a 90% de los pacientes supervisados por los profesionales de salud (p=0,024). CONCLUSIONES: El éxito del tratamiento de tuberculosis fue mayor cuando se supervisó por un familiar.

OBJETIVO: Comparar os resultados de cura por tuberculose entre pacientes supervisionados pelo membro familiar e pelo profissional de saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectiva de 171 pacientes de Vitória, ES, no período de 2004 a 2007. Cada paciente foi acompanhado por seis meses até a finalização do tratamento. Dos pacientes estudados, 59 pacientes tratados eram supervisionados por um membro familiar e 112 pelos profissionais de saúde. Foram avaliados dados sociodemográficos e clínicos dos pacientes. Diferenças entre os grupos de estudo foram avaliadas utilizando o teste qui-quadrado ou teste t de Student ao nivel de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos sujeitos do estudo apresentaram bacioscopia positiva e cultura confirmada para tuberculose. Dois pacientes tinham sorologia positiva para HIV. Um número maior de pacientes no grupo supervisionado por profissionais de saúde não eram alfabetizados, comparado com aqueles pacientes do grupo supervisionado por membros familiares (p = 0,01). Todos os pacientes supervisionados por um familiar foram curados, frente a 90% dos pacientes supervisionados pelos profissionais de saúde (p=0,024). CONCLUSÕES: O sucesso do tratamento de tuberculose foi maior quando supervisionado por um familiar.

OBJECTIVE: To compare tuberculosis cure rates among patients supervised by household members or health care workers. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 171 patients treated by the program in Vitoria, Southeastern Brazil, from 2004 to 2007. Each patient was followed-up for six months until the end of the treatment. Of the patients studied, a household member supervised 59 patients and healthcare workers supervised 112 patients. Patients' sociodemographic and clinic data were analyzed. Differences between groups were assessed using chi-square test or Student's t-test. Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Most patients had smear positive, culture confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Two patients were HIV-positive. There were more illiterate patients in the healthcare-supervised group, in comparison to those supervised by their families (p=0.01). All patients supervised by a household member were cured compared to 90% of the patients supervised by health care workers (p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Successful tuberculosis treatment was more frequent when supervised by household members.

OBJETIVO: Comparar los resultados de cura por tuberculosis entre pacientes supervisados por ele miembro familiar y por el profesional de salud. MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo de 171 pacientes de Vitória, sureste de Brasil, en el período de 2004 a 2007. Cada paciente fue acompañado por seis meses hasta la finalización del tratamiento. De los pacientes estudiados, 59 pacientes tratados eran supervisados por un miembro familiar y 112 por los profesionales de salud. Fueron evaluados datos sociodemográficos y clínicos de los pacientes. Diferencias entre los grupos de estudio fueron evaluadas utilizando la prueba Chi-cuadrado o prueba t de Student al nivel de significancia de 5%. RESULTADOS: La mayoría de los sujetos de estudio presentaron bacioscopia positiva y cultivo confirmado para tuberculosis. Dos pacientes tenían serología positiva para HIV. Un número mayor de pacientes en el grupo supervisado por profesionales de salud no eran alfabetizados, comparado con aquellos pacientes del grupo supervisado por miembros familiares (p=0,01). Todos los pacientes supervisados por un familiar fueron curados, frente a 90% de los pacientes supervisados por los profesionales de salud (p=0,024). CONCLUSIONES: El éxito del tratamiento de tuberculosis fue mayor cuando se supervisó por un familiar.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a utilização de supervisores domiciliares para dose supervisionada do tratamento(DOT), em pacientes portadores de tuberculose. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo prospectivo com amostra composta por pacientes com diagnóstico de tuberculose pulmonar. Participaram deste estudo 98 pacientes. Um protocolo de capacitação do paciente e sua família foi implementado. Após este treinamento, o paciente poderia escolher entre um supervisor domiciliar e um profissional de saúde. Os métodos de análise descritiva utilizados foram a freqüência absoluta e relativa. RESULTADOS: Um supervisor familiar foi escolhido por 94 pacientes (96%). O percentual de cura foi de 99%. O parceiro foi escolhido por 49% e algum outro familiar o foi por 28% dos pacientes. A equipe de pesquisa precisou assumir o DOT em 3% dos casos. O comparecimento regular para a supervisão foi de 67%. Verificou-se que 24% dos problemas encontrados neste modelo de DOT referiram-se ao esquecimento em administrar ou tomar as medicações, por parte do supervisor e do paciente, respectivamente, sendo que 39% dos pacientes deixaram de tomar a medicação por um dia e 31% esqueceram-se de tomá-la por dois dias durante o tratamento. Houve troca de supervisor em 9% da amostra, perda de medicação pelo paciente em algum momento do tratamento em 9% e intolerância do paciente à medicação em 8%. CONCLUSÕES: O DOT supervisionado pelo familiar mostrou-se eficaz e de baixo custo. No entanto, a adesão ao tratamento não de deve a um só fator, mas ao conjunto de medidas adotadas: vale transporte; ações educativas; e, principalmente, a abordagem individualizada.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of family members as supervisors of directly observed therapy (DOT) in patients with tuberculosis. METHODS: This was a prospective descriptive study involving patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. The sample comprised 98 patients. A standardized protocol was implemented in order to train the patient and their families. After the training, the patient was allowed to choose either a family member or a health care worker as a supervisor. Absolute and relative frequencies were used in descriptive data analysis. RESULTS: A family member supervisor was chosen by 94 patients (96%). The cure rate was 99%. The partner was chosen by 49% of the patients, and other family members were chosen by 28%. The heath care team needed to take over DOT in 3% of the cases. Regular attendance at follow-up appointments was 67%. It was observed that 24% of the problems in this DOT model referred to the family supervisor forgetting to administer the medication or to the patient forgetting to take it; 39% of the patients forgot to take the medication for one day, and 31% forgot to take it for two days. There was change of supervisor in 9% of the sample, medication was lost by the patient sometime during treatment in 9%, and patient drug intolerance occurred in 8%. CONCLUSIONS: DOT supervised by a family member has proven an effective and low-cost technique. However, compliance is not due to one single factor but to the combination of strategies adopted: bus passes; educational measures and especially the individualized approach.

We evaluated the ability of a PCR assay to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) from positive BACTEC® 12B broth cultures. A total of 107 sputum samples were processed and inoculated into Ogawa slants and BACTEC® 12B vials. At a growth index (GI) > 30, 1.0 ml of the 12B broth was removed, stored, and assayed with PCR. Molecular results were compared to those obtained by phenotypic identification methods, including the BACTEC® NAP method. The average times required to perform PCR and NAP were compared. Of the 107 broth cultures evaluated, 90 were NAP positive, while 91 were PCR positive for MTBC. Of particular interest were three contaminated BACTEC® 12B broth cultures yielding microorganisms other than acid-fast bacilli growth with a MTBC that were successfully identified by PCR, resulting in a mean time of 14 days to identify MTBC before NAP identification. These results suggest that PCR could be used as an alternative to the NAP test for the rapid identification of MTBC in BACTEC® 12B cultures, particularly in those that contained both MTBC and nontuberculous mycobacteria.

A tuberculose é conhecida como uma das mais importantes causas de mortalidade no mundo. O diagnóstico da tuberculose na infância tem entre suas muitas dificuldades o achado bacteriológico do Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Este foi um estudo de caso-controle aninhado em uma coorte prospectiva com crianças que coletaram lavado gástrico em nível ambulatorial e hospitalar, com o objetivo de identificar se o sistema de pontuação para o diagnóstico de tuberculose em crianças negativas à baciloscopia, proposto pelo Ministério da Saúde, poderia ser utilizado como instrumento inicial de identificação do diagnóstico da tuberculose na infância. Um total de 108 crianças foi submetido ao lavado gástrico, sendo que 53 tiveram diagnóstico de tuberculose e 55 com diagnóstico descartado. O sistema de pontuação proposto pelo Ministério da Saúde para o diagnóstico de tuberculose em crianças com baciloscopia negativa apresentou uma boa sensibilidade em ambos os grupos estudados, sendo o melhor ponto de corte o critério 1 (possível diagnóstico de tuberculose) com sensibilidade de 92% podendo, então, ser usado como um auxiliar na investigação diagnóstica de crianças que se submeterão ao lavado gástrico. Nossa recomendação é que o sistema de pontuação do Ministério da Saúde seja utilizado nos serviços de saúde para auxiliar o médico a decidir sobre continuar ou não a investigação da tuberculose infantil, e não somente em crianças que já foram submetidas ao procedimento e tiveram suas amostras com resultado negativo.

Tuberculosis is currently one of the main causes of death in the world. One of the difficulties for tuberculosis diagnosis in childhood is the bacteriological identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This nested case-control study aimed to compare the diagnostic values of a scoring system proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Heath for diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis using gastric washing samples taken in the outpatient and hospital settings. A total of 108 children underwent gastric washing (53 with and 55 without tuberculosis). The scoring system proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Heath for diagnosis of tuberculosis in children with negative sputum smears showed good sensitivity in both groups, and the best cutoff point was "1" (possible tuberculosis), with 92% sensitivity, thus feasible for use as an ancillary diagnostic test in children submitted to gastric washing. Our recommendation is that the Ministry of Health scoring system be used by health services to assist the physician in deciding on whether to continue the investigation of childhood tuberculosis, and not only in children who have already undergone the procedure and who have shown negative results.

A tuberculose é conhecida como uma das mais importantes causas de mortalidade no mundo. O diagnóstico da tuberculose na infância tem entre suas muitas dificuldades o achado bacteriológico do Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Este foi um estudo de caso-controle aninhado em uma coorte prospectiva com crianças que coletaram lavado gástrico em nível ambulatorial e hospitalar, com o objetivo de identificar se o sistema de pontuação para o diagnóstico de tuberculose em crianças negativas à baciloscopia, proposto pelo Ministério da Saúde, poderia ser utilizado como instrumento inicial de identificação do diagnóstico da tuberculose na infância. Um total de 108 crianças foi submetido ao lavado gástrico, sendo que 53 tiveram diagnóstico de tuberculose e 55 com diagnóstico descartado. O sistema de pontuação proposto pelo Ministério da Saúde para o diagnóstico de tuberculose em crianças com baciloscopia negativa apresentou uma boa sensibilidade em ambos os grupos estudados, sendo o melhor ponto de corte o critério 1 (possível diagnóstico de tuberculose) com sensibilidade de 92% podendo, então, ser usado como um auxiliar na investigação diagnóstica de crianças que se submeterão ao lavado gástrico. Nossa recomendação é que o sistema de pontuação do Ministério da Saúde seja utilizado nos serviços de saúde para auxiliar o médico a decidir sobre continuar ou não a investigação da tuberculose infantil, e não somente em crianças que já foram submetidas ao procedimento e tiveram suas amostras com resultado negativo.

Tuberculosis is currently one of the main causes of death in the world. One of the difficulties for tuberculosis diagnosis in childhood is the bacteriological identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This nested case-control study aimed to compare the diagnostic values of a scoring system proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Heath for diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis using gastric washing samples taken in the outpatient and hospital settings. A total of 108 children underwent gastric washing (53 with and 55 without tuberculosis). The scoring system proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Heath for diagnosis of tuberculosis in children with negative sputum smears showed good sensitivity in both groups, and the best cutoff point was "1" (possible tuberculosis), with 92% sensitivity, thus feasible for use as an ancillary diagnostic test in children submitted to gastric washing. Our recommendation is that the Ministry of Health scoring system be used by health services to assist the physician in deciding on whether to continue the investigation of childhood tuberculosis, and not only in children who have already undergone the procedure and who have shown negative results.

We made a retrospective longitudinal study from January 2000 to January 2003 to examine cases of immune reconstitution syndrome (IRS) and its incidence rate in tuberculosis (TB)-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infected patients. The incidence rate (IR) was calculated using a Poisson regression. The confidence interval (CI) that was stipulated was 95%. IRS occurred in 10/84 HIV and TB-positive patients; nine of them were on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) during a mean of 61.7 (±59) days following the introduction of antiretrovirals. Lymph-node enlargement was the sole clinical manifestation. CD4 counts were <100 cells/mm³in 50% of the patients, at the time of TB diagnosis. All but two patients were treated with prednisone, and recovered from TB within a mean of 91 days (±30 days). One relapse of TB was observed, but there were no IRS-related deaths. The incidence rate was higher (IR=11.18; CI, 1.41-88.76) in patients that had superficial lymph node enlargement at the moment of TB diagnosis (not associated with TB), extrapulmonary TB (IR=1.97; CI, 0.44-8.79), were antiretroviral naive (IR=1.85; CI, 0.48-7.16), and CD4 counts <100 cells/mm³ (IR=1.50; CI, 0.40-5.59), although with a wide CI. IRS was frequent in our sample, occurred more frequently in HIV-naive patients with lymph-node enlargement and extrapulmonary TB. No cases of new pulmonary lesions or worsening of pulmonary infiltrates were observed.

In the advanced stages of AIDS, characterized by severe immunodepression, tuberculosis (TB) may present with a clinical picture of septic shock, due to typical bacteremia. Hematogenic dissemination of mycobacteria is frequent in immunodepressed patients with TB or disseminated mycobacteriosis, leading to increased positivity in detection by automated blood culture. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of mycobacteremia in patients with AIDS and with prolonged fever seen at the Emilio Ribas Institute of Infectology. Patients with a history of daily fever (37.8ºC), lasting more than 30 days, and with CD4+ helper lymphocyte counts below 200 cells/mL, were selected from February 2001 to March 2002. A 5 mL peripheral blood sample was collected from each patient for mycobacterial blood culture by an automated method, using the BACTEC 9000 MB and MB/BACT techniques. Forty-five patients aged on average 35 years, most of them males, were included in the study. The mean T CD4+ lymphocyte count was 58 cells/mL. Among the samples submitted to blood culture, 30% gave M. tuberculosis growth, with 62% sensitivity. Among the patients with a negative blood culture, nine had received a diagnosis of TB by another method. Automated blood culture proved to be a technique of relevant diagnostic value for M. tuberculosis in patients with prolonged fever in advanced stages of AIDS. The method is simple, and it helps the physician to select the best therapeutic option.

La infección por el complejo Mycobacterium avium (MAC) es la infección sistémica más frecuente en la fase terminal del SIDA. Las sondas de ADN disponibles en el mercado para la identificación de micobacterias son muy precisas pero extremadamente costosas. Por eso, la mayoría de los laboratorios clínicos de Latinoamérica aún tipifican micobacterias mediante pruebas fenotípicas que son lentas, laboriosas y poco precisas. En este trabajo se aplicó el análisis del polimorfismo de los fragmentos de restricción del gen hsp65 (PRA) a la identificación de MAC en 163 aislamientos clínicos procedentes de España y Suramérica. El genotipo PRA predominante en cada país fue: M. avium tipo I en Argentina (23/42, 55%) y Brasil (48/72, 67%), M. avium tipo II en España (18/26, 69%) y M. avium tipo III en Colombia (10/23, 43%). Este último genotipo, que aún no fue descrito fuera del continente americano, resultó muy infrecuente en los otros tres países del estudio. Se discuten ventajas e inconvenientes de la aplicación del PRA al diagnóstico micobacteriológico.

Distribution of PRA patterns of clinical isolates of the Mycobacterium avium complex from Spain and South America Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections are the most frequent systemic infections associated with advanced AIDS. DNA probes for accurate identification of mycobacteria are available but are very expensive in many Latin American settings. Consequently, most Latin American diagnostic laboratories employ inaccurate and outdated tests for mycobacteria identification. Therefore, PCR restriction analysis (PRA) of the hsp65 gene was evaluated for the identification of 163 MAC human isolates originated from Spain and South America. The predominant PRA type in each country was: M. avium type I in Argentina (23/42, 55%) and Brazil (48/72, 67%), M. avium type II in Spain (18/26, 69%) and M. avium type III in Colombia (10/ 23, 43%). The Colombia frequency is noteworthy, since the PRA type III was quite infrequent in the other three countries. Furthermore, its presence has not been reported outside the Americas. The advantages and disadvantages of PRA in diagnostic mycobacteriology are discussed

No período de janeiro de 1992 a dezembro de 1994, foram obtidas culturas positivas para M. tuberculosis e foram realizados testes de sensibilidade a drogas em 228 pacientes atendidos no Centro de Referência DST/AIDS-SP. Através da revisão dos prontuários de todos os casos verificamos resistência a uma ou mais drogas em 47(20.6%), dos quais 25(10.9 %), que relatavam tratamento pregresso, foram considerados como portadores de resistência adquirida. Dos antecedentes investigados, somente os fatores tratamento prévio e alcoolismo foram independentemente associados à ocorrência de resistência. A sobrevivência dos pacientes portadores de cepas resistentes foi menor que a dos pacientes acometidos por M. tuberculosis não resistentes. Concluimos que nesta casuística a resistência do M. tuberculosis aos tuberculostáticos foi predominantemente do tipo adquirida.

M. tuberculosis-positive cultures were obtained from 228 patients seen in our service and drug sensitivity assays were carried out from January 1992 to December 1994. A survey of the medical records of these patients showed resistance to one or more drugs in 47 (20.6%), 25 of whom (10.9%), who reported previous treatment, were considered to have acquired resistance. Among the antecedents investigated, only previous treatment and alcoholism were the factors independently associated with the occurrence of resistance. The survival of patients with resistant strains was lower than that of patients attacked by non-resistant M. tuberculosis. We conclude that in the present series M. tuberculosis resistance to tuberculostatic agents was predominantly of the acquired type.

Anterior a pandemia de AIDS, o Complexo Mycobacterium avium (MAC) era responsável pela maioria das vezes, por pneumopatias acometendo pacientes com doença pulmonar crônica de base como enfisema e bronquite crônica36. Em 1981, com o advento da síndrome de imunodeficiência adquirida (SIDA), o MAC passou a representar uma das doenças bacterianas mais frequentes em pacientes com esta síndrome, sendo a doença disseminada a principal forma de manifestação clínica da infecção8. Entre Janeiro de 1989 e Fevereiro de 1991, no Setor de Micobactérias do Instituto Adolfo Lutz em São Paulo, o MAC foi isolado de 103 pacientes a partir do cultivo de diferentes espécimes estéreis e não estéreis processados, coletados de 2.304 pacientes atendidos no Centro de Referência e Treinamento AIDS e/ou Instituto de Infectologia Emilio Ribas. A doença disseminada foi diagnosticada em 29 destes, com base no isolamento do MAC a partir do sangue e/ou aspirado de medula óssea. Os outros 74 pacientes foram agrupados nas categorias altamente (5), moderadamente (26) e pouco sugestiva de doença (43) de acordo com os postulados de DAVIDSON (1989)10. Os diferentes critérios para valorizar o seu isolamento de espécimes estéreis e não estéreis são discutidos.

Before the AIDS pandemia, the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) was responsible in most cases for the pneumopathies that attack patients with basic chronic pulmonary diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis36. In 1981, with the advent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), MAC started to represent one of the most frequent bacterial diseases among AIDS patients, with the disseminated form of the disease being the major clinical manifestation of the infection8. Between January 1989 and February 1991, the Section of Mycobacteria of the Adolfo Lutz Institute, São Paulo, isolated MAC from 103 patients by culturing different sterile and no-sterile processed specimens collected from 2304 patients seen at the AIDS Reference and Training Center and/or Emilio Ribas Infectology Institute. Disseminated disease was diagnosed in 29 of those patients on the basis of MAC isolation from blood and/or bone marrow aspirate. The other 74 patients were divided into categories highly (5), moderately (26) and little suggestive of disease (43) according to the criteria of DAVIDSON (1989)10. The various criteria for MAC isolation from sterile and non-sterile specimens are discussed.

O complexo Mycobacterium avium (CMA) é frequentemente isolado de pacientes com complicações tardias de Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida (AIDS), especialmente na América do Norte e Europa. Entretanto, existem poucos relatos do isolamento deste complexo a partir do sistema nervoso central (SNC) nestes países. Acredita-se que infecções pelo CMA sejam raras entre pacientes portadores de AIDS em países da África e América Latina. Neste trabalho relatamos o isolamento do CMA do líquor de 11 pacientes portadores de AIDS dentre 1723 (0.63%) atendidos no Centro de Referência e Treinamento -AIDS, de São Paulo, e discutimos a significância deste achado.

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is frequently isolated from patients with late complications of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), especially in North America and Europe. However, its isolation from the central nervous system (CNS) has been seldom reported in these countries. MAC infections in AIDS patients in African and Latin American countries are believed to be uncommon. We report the isolation of MAC from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 11 AIDS patients out of 1723 (0.63%) seen at "Centro de Referência e Treinamento - AIDS", São Paulo and discuss the significance of its isolation.