Development of Macrolide Resistance and Reinfection in Refractory Mycobacterium avium Complex Lung Disease

What is it about?

Macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin or azithromycin are key drugs for the treatment of Mycobacterium avium lung disease (MAC-LD). However, development of macrolide resistance is not common in patients with persistently positive cultures even with long-term macrolide therapy. The reason for this low incidence of macrolide resistance in patients with refractory MAC-LD is largely unknown. This study found that refractory MAC-LD is commonly caused by reinfection with new strains rather than persistence of the original strain, which may explain the infrequent development of macrolide resistance in refractory MAC-LD.

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