title: Detection of 2-eicosanol by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in sputa from patients with pulmonary mycobacterial infections.
abstract: A total of 96 sputum specimens from patients with suspected or known mycobacterial and nonmycobacterial pulmonary infections were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the presence of 2-eicosanol. This secondary alcohol was detected in all of the 25 sputum specimens culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in 7 of the 9 sputum specimens culture positive for M. avium complex, and in all 3 of the studied sputum specimens associated with M. malmoense. The alcohol was not detected in any of the 45 culture-negative sputum specimens or in 14 sputum specimens culture positive for Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The ratio of tuberculostearic acid to 2-eicosanol was much lower in sputum samples culture positive for mycobacteria than in the corresponding in vitro-grown cultures. The present findings indicate that 2-eicosanol may be useful as a chemical marker for rapid diagnosis of pulmonary infections caused by the M. avium complex, M. malmoense, and M. tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alugupalli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; C046799:2-eicosanol