Detection of tuberculostearic acid in serum and other biological fluids from patients with tuberculosis by electron capture-gas chromatography and chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry.
We analysed 37 clinical samples from 33 patients with bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis, two cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with cured tuberculous meningitis, and 14 serum samples from healthy individuals, for the presence of tuberculostearic acid (TSA) by frequency pulsed electron capture-gas chromatography (FPEC-GC) and chemical ionisation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (CIGC-MS). TSA was detected in 36 of the 37 samples from patients with active tuberculosis and none of the patients with cured tuberculous meningitis; only one of 14 controls generated a similar chromatographic profile. Analysis of biological fluids by FPEC-GC and CIGC-MS for the presence of TSA may be a valuable method for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis.
First Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. gdaikos@med.uoa.gr
G L
GL
Daikos
J B
JB
Brooks
A
A
Michos
E
E
Roma
V
V
Syriopoulou
D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism*
D013229:Stearic Acids; C026082:tuberculostearic acid