ABSTRACT
Many uremic solutes retained in chronic kidney disease are volatile, and can be detected by breath testing. We compared the exhaled breath of subjects with end stage renal disease (ESRD) to healthy volunteers to identify volatile compounds that can serve as a potential breathprint for renal failure. We analyzed the exhaled breath of 86 ESRD subjects and 25 healthy volunteers using selected-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Using a random forests classification model, we identified three known volatiles (2-propanol, ammonia, acetaldehyde) and two unknown volatiles ([Formula: see text] NO+76) that were highly significant for discriminating individuals with renal failure from individuals without renal failure (C statistic > 0.99). This study provides preliminary support for the use of exhaled breath as a potential noninvasive screening tool in renal failure.
Subject(s)
Breath Tests/methods , Kidney Failure, Chronic/diagnosis , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Discriminant Analysis , Exhalation , Female , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Mass Spectrometry , Middle Aged , Models, TheoreticalABSTRACT
Breath testing has the potential to benefit the medical field as a cost-effective, non-invasive diagnostic tool for diseases of the lung and beyond. With growing evidence of clinical worth, standardization of methods, and new sensor and detection technologies the stage is set for breath testing to gain considerable attention and wider application in upcoming years.
