Dorneanu O, Wittmer A, Diculencu D, Pelz K
Microbiology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Gr. T. Popa Iaşi.
Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi. 2000 Oct-Dec;104(4):161-5.
It is important to identify mycobacteria to the species level in order to establish their clinical significance and to take the appropriate therapeutical decision. Biochemical tests on primary cultures take time (3-6 weeks) until the report of results; that's why more rapid techniques are needed. We have used gas chromatography with flame-ionisation detection (GC-FID) as an alternative identification method for 53 mycobacterial strains isolated from respiratory specimens. We have extracted fatty acids from whole mycobacterial cells, then derivatized them into methylesters, detectable by GC-FID. All the strains were identified as M. tuberculosis complex (MTC), using the Microbial Identification System (MIS) software. The specificity of the identification by GC-FID of MTC is 100%. In conclusion, pulmonary mycobacteriosis are dominated by MTC; GC-FID is a rapid and accurate method for the identification of MTC.
