Mycobacterium Avium Complex - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

MAC bacteria are found in air, water, soil, foods, some tobacco products, and in many animals. The symptoms of MAC can include weight loss, fevers, chills, night sweats, swollen glands, abdominal pains, diarrhea and overall weakness. In patients with AIDS, MAC is usually disseminated and affects those with CD4+ T-cell counts below 50/mm 3. Any organ system can he involved, especially those with many mononuclear phagoeytes (such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow). Less commonly, MAC may produce pulmonary disease in non-immunocompromised people; it may manifest in children as cervical lymphadenitis.

MAC usually affects the intestines and inner organs first, causing liver tests to be high. MAC is a group of mycobacteria (the two most common being M. avium and M. intracellulare), that cause a serious disease in people with advanced AIDS People with HIV have weakened immune systems and can become very ill from this infection. They subsequently infect the resting macrophages in the lamina propria and spread in the submucosal tissue; they are then carried to the local lymph nodes by lymphatics. MAC infection often occurs in the lungs, intestines, bone marrow, liver and spleen. The bacteria that cause MAC are very common. They are found in water, soil, dust and food. Almost everyone has them in their body. A healthy immune system will control MAC, but people with weakened immune systems can develop MAC disease. Up to 50% of people with AIDS may develop MAC, especially if their CD4 cell count is below 50. MAC almost never causes disease in people with more than 100 CD4 cells.

Causes of Mycobacterium Avium Complex

There are various factors which give rise to the disease Mycobacterium Avium Complex , but here we mentioned some of the common causes:

• Chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, mitral valve prolapse, skeletal abnormalities (eg, pectus excavatum, mild scoliosis, straight back), or lung cancer.
• CD4 + lymphocyte count of less than 50 cells/ m L.
• Deficiency of IFN-gamma and TNF.
• Production and absence or defects of IFN-gamma receptors.

Symptoms of Mycobacterium Avium Complex

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the disease Mycobacterium Avium Complex are as follows:

• Fever.
• Night sweats.
• Weight loss.
• Tiredness.
• Stomach pain.
• Diarrhea.
• Chills.
• Swollen glands.
• Overall weakness.

Treatment of Mycobacterium Avium Complex

Find effective treatment methods of treating Mycobacterium Avium Complex :

• The addition of rifabutin (300 mg daily) has been associated with increased mycobacterial clearance, but no survival benefit.
• Treatment usually involves taking several drugs for a long time.
• You should not get treatment to prevent MAC disease until your T-cell count is below 50. Your doctor will tell you when you or your child need to begin treatment for preventing MAC disease.
• Health care providers use a combination of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) to treat MAC. At least two drugs are used: usually azithromycin or clarithromycin plus up to three other drugs.