Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric study of lipids and rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The method suggested is based on the identification of tuberculostearic acid as a Mycobacterium tuberculosis marker. Bacterial culture and sputum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and lung diseases of non-tuberculous etiology were investigated. A complete coincidence of the results of bacteriological and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) methods used in examining a group of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was found. GC-MS ion monitoring provides a highly sensitive and rapid technique for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.