Predictive value of pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatography in the differentiation of mycobacteria.

Pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatography (PGLC) analysis of 50 mycobacterial specimens enabled classification of the organisms with 100 per cent accuracy on the basis of original identification. Specimens, which were double-blind coded before they were submitted to PGLC analysis, consisted of five species, each represented by five pairs of duplicate samples. Size of samples for packed column used in PGLC varied from 100 µg to 125 µg of lyophilized material. “Constant structural factors,” which constituted the fingerprinting region, occurred mainly in the high-boiling, larger fragments. The precision and accuracy of the method suggest that it is suitable for electronic data processing.