High prevalence of viable Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Crohn's disease

摘要

AIM:To examine the detection rate of viable Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [Crohn's disease(CD) and ulcerative colitis(UC)].METHODS:Thirty patients with CD(15 with at least one NOD2/CARD15 mutation),29 with UC,and 10 with no inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).were tested for MAP by polymerase chain reaction(specific IS900 fragment) and blood culture.RESULTS:MAP DNA was detected in all original blood samples and 8-wk blood cultures(CD,UC and non-IBD).Positive MAP DNA status was confirmed by dot blot assays.All 69 cultures were negative by acid-fast Ziehl-Neelsen staining.Viable MAP,in spheroplast form,was isolated from the 18-mo blood cultures of all 30 CD patients,one UC patient,and none of the non-IBD controls.No association was found between positive MAP cultures and use of immunosuppressive drugs or CDassociated single nucleotide polymorphisms.CONCLUSION:MAP is widely present in our area and MAP DNA can be recovered from the blood of CD,UC and non-IBD patients.However,MAP spheroplasts were only found in CD patients.