Mycobacterium europaeum lung disease in an immunocompetent patient without underlying lung disease

The First Case Report of Inactive Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease (NTM-PD) in a Pneumoconiosis Patient Caused by Mycobacterium europaeum in China

We reported a 51-year-old male electric welder with stage I pneumoconiosis, who had no significant cough, sputum, fever, chest pain, or other discomfort. However, regular physical examination at our hospital revealed bilateral pulmonary nodules with cavity formation. Blood routine, liver or kidney function, and infection-related biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), were normal. Sputum and alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears, BALF Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) PCR, and T-SPOT.TB were negative. The nucleic acid sequence of Mycobacterium europaeum was detected by BALF metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which was confirmed by the subsequent positive culture for NTM. Considering stable conditions, no significant discomfort, and no significant changes in the lung lesion, the patient was diagnosed with inactive nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).

Impacts of combined pollution under gradient increasing and gradient decreasing exposure modes on activated sludge: Microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes

The responses of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to azithromycin and copper combined pollution under gradient increasing (from 0.5 to 10 mg/L) and decreasing exposure (from 10 to 0.5 mg/L) modes were investigated. Nitrification was inhibited more obviously under gradient increasing exposure mode. Responses of archaeal community and function structure were more obvious than bacteria under both exposure modes. The dominant bacterial and archaeal compositions (Hyphomicrobium, Euryarchaeota, etc.) were affected by two exposure modes, except some rare archaea (Methanoregula and Methanosarcina). There were more positive correlations between bacteria and archaea, and Nitrospira was keystone genus. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (0.37-3.06%) and complete ammonia oxidizers (Nitrospira_ENR4) were enriched, and Nitrososphaera_viennensis was closely related to denitrifying genes (napA/B, nosZ, etc.). 50 ARG subtypes were detected and specific ARG subtypes (aac, ImrA, etc.) proliferated in two exposure modes. Bacteria and archaea were common hosts for 24 ARGs and contributed to their shifts.