Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare: A cause of disseminated life-threatening infection in homosexuals and drug abusers

Abstract

Five men developed disseminated infection with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare. These patients all lived in the New York City area and presented with their illnesses between January 1981 and September 1981; four were homosexual and one was an intravenous drug abuser. Four patients died. All five patients had defects in the cell-mediated immune response. The infections were characterized histopathologically by poor or absent granulomatous tissue reaction. Clinical isolates of M. avium-intracellulare from all five patients agglutinated with type 8 antisera. The organisms were resistant to most commonly used antimycobacterial drugs. The spectrum of opportunistic infections among populations ..