title: Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis by detection of tuberculostearic acid in sputum by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring.
abstract: Tuberculostearic acid [(R)-10-methyloctadecanoic acid (TBSA)] is a structural component of mycobacteria, and its detection in appropriate clinical specimens has potential application as a rapid screening method for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacteria. We used the highly sensitive technique of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with selected ion monitoring (SIM) of m/e 312 and m/e 167 for detecting TBSA in 405 clinical sputum specimens collected in Hong Kong, where tuberculosis is still common. TBSA was detected in 39 M. tuberculosis smear-positive, culture-positive specimens; 63 of 66 smear-negative, culture-positive specimens; and 1 of 300 smear-negative, culture-negative specimens. Thus, for screening of sputa from individuals with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, the detection of TBSA by GC-MS/SIM is highly specific and more sensitive than conventional microscopy and more rapid but slightly less sensitive than conventional culture methods.
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013183:Sputum / Q000032:analysis*; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D013229:Stearic Acids; C026082:tuberculostearic acid