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. mabnoense. 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.

Determination of microbial chemical markers by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry ‐ potential for diagnosis and studies on metabolism in situ

“…structures, mycobacteriologists are provided with an excellent new tool for studying lipid metabolism in vivo. Interestingly, in a recent investigation in this laboratory, the secondary fatty alcohol 2-eicosanol, which is situated in the wax-ester mycolates of certain mycobacteria, was detected in 35 out of 37 sputa that were culture-positive for Mycobacterium avium complex, M. malmoense or M. tuberculosis (2). The alcohol was not found in any of 45 culturenegative sputa nor in 14 sputa culture-positive for common upper respiratory pathogens.…”

“…Characteristic mycobacterial lipid monomers can be detected in specimens from infected patients, and it has been suggested that such detection might be used for rapid diagnosis (2,25). structures, mycobacteriologists are provided with an excellent new tool for studying lipid metabolism in vivo.…”