Maryam Arfaatabar, Nadia Mohammad Zadeh and Abbas Salmani*
Background
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of non - tuberculosis mycobacteria in clinical samples from 2000 - 2022 through systematic review and Meta -analysis.
Methods
This literature search conducted by reviewing published studies addressing the prevalence of NTMs from clinical samples in Iran according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Meta - Analyses and Systematic Reviews) protocol. Search strategy was performed for original articles in Persian and English published between 1th January 2000 - 2022 in databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases. Analysis was conducted for calculating the prevalence of NTM and its 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) by Comprehensive Meta - Analysis (CMA).
Results
Our study showed that the combined prevalence of NTMs in positive mycobacterial cultures was 4.5 %( 95 % Cl: 3.1 - 6.5). "M. simiae (35.8 % [95 % CI 16.4 - 44.4]), "M. intracellulare (19 % [95 % CI 8.7 - 28.3]), and "M. kansasii (13.4 % [95 % CI 7.3 - 24.3]) were the most common NTM species among SGM, while "M. fortuitum (24.6 % [95 % CI 12.9 - 46.7]), "M. terrae (18.5 % [95 % CI 11.5 - 29.2), and "M. gastri (15.9 % [95 % C I6.0 - 41.2]) were the most prevalent NTM species among Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria (RGM)
Conclusion
Regarding the prevalence of NTMs in clinical samples, which some of them such as "M. simiae could have clinical manifestations similar to tuberculosis. Therefore, the use of molecular methods for the identification of NTM is necessary.
