Mycobacterium Identification by HPLC

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Brief Description

All Mycobacteria species contain mycolic acids in there cell walls. These mycolic acids produce a profile on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that varies by species. Mycolic acids are extracted from unknown Mycobacteria cultures and are quantified and identified through the HPLC process. All profiles produced from the HPLC are compared against an FDA approved mycolic acid profile library, then named according to similarity to that library.

Laboratory Unit

Tuberculosis

Methodology

High Pressure Liquid Chromatography-MIDI System

Specimen Collection

N/A

Storage/Transport

Submit isolates using the tuberculosis (TB) Category A carrier provided by the MSPHL in accordance with the Infectious Substance, Category A shipping guidelines.

Acceptable Specimen
Type(s)

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is only used with cultures as a way to successfully identify positive Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) cultures; we do not use HPLC on clinical specimens.

Clinically significant pure culture isolates on tubes only, no culture plates.

Test Request Form(s)

Tuberculosis Test Request Form

Possible Results

Any Mycobacterium that has a clear cut profile produced from the HPLC process.

Reference Range

Mycobacteria profiles have to closely match Mycobacteria profiles have to closely match U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mycolic acid profiles before they are reported.

Unacceptable Conditions

Leaked during transport
No name on specimen
Mixed culture
Nonviable organism

Interfering Substances

N/A

Result Reported

Clinical specimens may take up to 6 weeks before a final report is released. 

Reference isolates submitted for identification purposes only may take up to 2 weeks before a final report is released.

Fees

N/A

CPT Codes

N/A

LOINC/SNOMED Codes

9825-1

Additional Information

Identification is based on acceptable HPLC analysis and in some cases, genetic probe testing.  If an unacceptable HPLC analysis results, the culture will be probed for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and if negative, reported as NONTUBERCULOSIS MYCOBACTERIA, NO OTHER IDENTIFICATION FOLLOWS.  This isolate will be held for one week from the report and then discarded.