Gas chromatography in the identification of microorganisms and diagnosis of infectious diseases

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) continues to find increasing applications in the characterization of microorganisms and the diseases associated with them. GLC has been used to characterize microorganisms through qualitative and quantitative analyses of cellular structural components and soluble extracts and metabolic by-products. Chromatographic patterns, or fingerprints, can be used to differentiate between very closely related microorganisms, even strain differences, and provides a potentially powerful tool for future taxonomic studies and more precision in definitive microbial classification. However, the most valuable use of GLC is in the identification of disease through patterns obtained by direct analysis of body fluids. Chromatographic fingerprints of microbial metabolites and compounds associated with the host response to infection and even noninfectious disease can be used to develop relatively simple GLC diagnostic methods. These methods are specific, sensitive, and rapid. This review examines the use of GLC for identification of infectious diseases through the analysis of body fluids, spent culture media, and cellular materials and suggest other clinical areas where its diagnostic potential has yet to be developed.