Skip to main content
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1980 Aug;12(2):208–215. doi: 10.1128/jcm.12.2.208-215.1980

Frequency-pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatography and the tryptophan color test for rapid diagnosis of tuberculous and other forms of lymphocytic meningitis.

J B Brooks, D C Edman, C C Alley, R B Craven, N I Girgis
PMCID: PMC273556  PMID: 7229007

Abstract

A total of 260 samples of cerebrospinal fluid received from Egypt, the United States, Canada, and South America were examined by frequency-pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatography (FPEC-GLC) for tuberculous and other forms of lymphocytic meningitis. Thirty-four of the specimens were culture positive for M. tuberculosis, and four cerebrospinal fluid specimens of herpes meningitis were established by immunological techniques. The compound, 3-(2'-ketohexyl)-indoline, was found in about 60% of the Egyptian tuberculous specimens and none of the culture-positive American specimens. the carboxylic and hydroxy acid FPEC-GLC profiles were used effectively in conjunction with other clinical data to make the diagnosis even in the absence of 3-(2'-ketohexyl)indoline. Herpes meningitis and mixed infections of Myeobacterium tuberculosis-herpes, M. tuberculosis-leptospira, and M. tuberculosis-Haemophilus influenzae produced profiles different from each other and from pure culture cases. The color test for tuberculous meningitis was evaluated, and free tryptophan was eliminated as the source of color reaction. Indications are that 3-(2'-ketohexyl)indoline, in most cases, is not responsible for the positive color reaction. Differences in the clinical and FPEC-GLC data obtained from samples from different geographical regions are discussed.

Full text

PDF
209

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alley C. C., Brooks J. B., Kellogg D. S., Jr Electron capture gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectral identification of acids produced by Neisseria meningitidis in a defined medium. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Jan;9(1):97–102. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.1.97-102.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brooks J. B., Choudhary G., Craven R. B., Alley C. C., Liddle J. A., Edman D. C., Converse J. D. Electron capture gas chromatography detection and mass spectrum identification of 3-(2'-ketohexyl)indoline in spinal fluids of patients with tuberculous meningitis. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Jun;5(6):625–628. doi: 10.1128/jcm.5.6.625-628.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buss D. H., Scharyj M. Herpesvirus infection of the esophagus and other visceral organs in adults. Incidence and clinical significance. Am J Med. 1979 Mar;66(3):457–462. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(79)91068-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Craven R. B., Brooks J. B., Edman D. C., Converse J. D., Greenlee J., Schlossberg D., Furlow T., Gwaltney J. M., Jr, Miner W. F. Rapid diagnosis of lymphocytic meningitis by frequency-pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatography: differentiation of tuberculous, cryptococcal, and viral meningitis. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Jul;6(1):27–32. doi: 10.1128/jcm.6.1.27-32.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. LUHAN J. A., LANOFF G. A re-evaluation of the tryptophan test for tuberculous meningitis. J Lab Clin Med. 1954 Mar;43(3):463–468. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Moss C. W., Lambert M. A., Diaz F. J. Gas-liquid chromatography of twenty protein amino acids on a single column. J Chromatogr. 1971 Aug 5;60(1):134–136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Schlossberg D., Brooks J. B., Shulman J. Possibility of diagnosing meningitis by gas chromatography: cryptococcal meningitis. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 Mar;3(3):239–245. doi: 10.1128/jcm.3.3.239-245.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sen P., Kapila R., Salaki J., Louria D. B. The diagnostic enigma of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. J Chronic Dis. 1977 Jun;30(6):331–350. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(77)90028-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES