Identification of tuberculosis pathogens in laboratory animals using spectrophotometry

Identification of tuberculosis pathogens, including atypical mycobacteria, which can cause pseudo- and paraallergic reactions, is of great theoretical and practical significance to successfully take preventive and curative measures against tuberculosis. The use of traditional methods is not always suitable for the accurate and reliable identification of a bacterial pathogen. Research methods involving use of convenient new generation computerized automatic devices, including spectrophotometers, make a significant contribution to solving this problem. Spectrophotometry allowes studying the mechanisms of photochemical changes in a cell at a molecular level. We compared effectiveness of spectrophotometry and traditional methods of mycobacteria identification (cultural-morphological, biochemical, biological properties of the studied cultures of mycobacteria). Identification of the hemolysate spectra was carried out on guinea pigs that had negative reaction for PPD tuberculin. For experimental purposes, five groups of animals were formed. Four were infected with mycobacteria of various species, and one was a control group. Guinea pigs of the first group were infected with Mycobacterium bovis strain 8, the second group got Mycobacterium bovis strain 14, the third group got Mycobacterium avium strain 9, the fourth group got Mycobacterium smegmatis. In parallel with spectrophotometry, the leukocyte formula was derived. The data obtained indicated that spectrophotometry allows making a lifetime diagnosis much faster (within a few hours) compared to a case of using conventional methods (2-3 months).