[The detection rate of different species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in Moscow].

The centralized microbiological laboratory of the Moscow Scientific-and-Practical Center for Tuberculosis Control (MSPCTC) conducted studies to isolate and identify mycobacterial cultures from clinical materials (sputum, bronchial and bronchoalveolar lavages) that had come from Moscow tuberculosis facilities in August 2005 to November 2008. The isolated mycobacterial cultures were identified by microbiological studies, high-performance liquid chromatography, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the hsp65 gene by means of the MAIS Dif test system developed at the MSPCTC. During the investigation, 117579 inoculations were made; 15786 (13.4%) of mycobacterial cultures were isolated, which included 15333 (97.1%) M. tuberculosis complex (MAC) cultures and 490 non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) ones that amounted to 3.1% of the total number of the mycobacterial cultures isolated in this period. Two thirds of mycobacteria were referred to as slowly growing NTM (according to the Runyon classification; among them there were predominant MAC (32.40%), M. kansasii (14.7%), and M. xenopi (13.9%). Among the rapidly growing mycobacteria, M. fortuitum (21%) and M. chelonae/abscessus complex (6.5%) were isolated. MAC was frequently detected in all the examined administrative districts of the city However, among the slowly growing NTMs, M. kansasii was identified in the South and West districts even at a greater rate; M. xenopi ranked first in the West district. Among the rapidly growing NTM, M. fortuitum was most common in all districts. M. chelonae/abscessus complex was next in the East district (these NTMs were undetectable in other districts).