Publication date: Feb 18, 2025

Mycobacterium abscessus complex is known to cause life-threatening disease in lung transplantation (LT) recipients (LTRs). Therefore, many centers consider the presence of M. abscessus as a relative contraindication to LT. We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including all 4 LT centers in Canada. All LTRs transplanted in 2006-2016 with at least one respiratory sample positive for M. abscessus prior or posttransplantation were included. Pulmonary disease was defined using the American Thoracic Society criteria. Minimal follow-up duration was 5 years after transplantation. Among 2181 LTRs across Canada, 14 had M. abscessus disease after LT (incidence rate 1. 1/1000 transplant-years) and 6 had pulmonary colonization (incidence rate 0. 5/1000 transplant-years). Fifteen patients had M. abscessus cultured before LT. Among those with pretransplant M. abscessus, 53% (8/15) developed M. abscessus infection posttransplant (6 disease, 2 colonization). Posttransplant disease was less frequent among those with microbiologic eradication before transplant (0% vs. 85. 7%, p = 0. 001). LTRs with pretransplant M. abscessus had comparable survival to those without M. abscessus (log rank p = 0. 37). Among patients with pretransplant infection, mortality was higher in those who did not achieve microbiological eradication before transplantation (57. 1% vs. 0%, p = 0. 03) and those who developed disease after transplantation (66. 7% vs. 0%, p = 0. 01). M. abscessus is an uncommon cause of infection among LTRs. Survival among those with pretransplant M. abscessus infection was similar to that observed in noninfected LTRs. However, lack of eradication before transplantation was associated with higher posttransplant disease and mortality.

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