[Presence of Mycoplasma in laboratory cell cultures from Cordoba, Argentina]

In this paper we determined the prevalence of mycoplasma contamination in 17 cell lines. Eighty per cent of the laboratories that currently use cell culture techniques participated in this study. Hoechst 33258 dye was used to detect mycoplasma contamination. The relationship between culture maintenance conditions and the presence of mycoplasma were analyzed, considering the use of antibiotics in the culture media, fetal calf serum (FCS) quality, culture media processing, use of disponsable labware, type of laminar flow cabinet, quantity of operators, and cell culture system. Thirty-five per cent of the analyzed cell lines showed mycoplasma contamination. Those lines belonged to 2 of the 8 surveyed laboratories. When confronting the working conditions versus mycoplasma contamination, 66% of the laboratories that employ non-certified FCS or reuse their labware, show mycoplasma contamination. Mycoplasma presence was found in 50% of the laboratories that use closed culture system, or more than one operator. Laboratories that process their culture media or that include antibiotic in the growing media, show a 40% contamination. The results obtained help to establish working conditions necessary to avoid introducing or spreading the microorganism.