Mycobacterium avium resists exposure to the acidic conditions of the stomach

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 182; no. 1; pp. 45 - 49
• Main Authors: Bodmer, Thomas, Miltner, Elizabeth, Bermudez, Luiz E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2000; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acid resistance; Acid tolerance; Acids; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Action of physical and chemical agents on bacteria; Adaptation; Adaptation, Physiological; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Amikacin - pharmacology; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - biosynthesis; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical isolates; Colony Count, Microbial; Culture Media; Exposure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastric Acid; Gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal tract; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microbiology; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium avium Complex - growth & development; Mycobacterium avium Complex - metabolism; Pathogens; pH effects; Protein biosynthesis; Protein synthesis; Saline solutions; Stationary phase; Stomach; Stomach - chemistry; Stomach - microbiology; Virulence; Water; Acid tolerance; AIDS; Sensitivity resistance; Mycobacteriales; Acid-fastness; Mycobacteriaceae; Mycobacterium avium; pH; Bacteria; Environmental factor; Actinomycetes; Acid medium; Survival

Abstract Organisms of the Mycobacterium avium complex are common pathogens in immunosuppressed patients such as individuals with AIDS. There is evidence that in AIDS patients, the main route for M. avium infection is the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach is a formidable barrier to pathogens and th...