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13C breath tests in infections and beyond
Anura V Kurpad1, Alfred Ajami, Vernon R Young
1Department of Physiology, Division of Nutrition, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
Food and Nutrition Bulletin
|October 5, 2002
Summary
Stable isotope labeled compounds serve as advanced diagnostic probes for detecting metabolic changes in diseases. These probes precisely track enzyme activity and metabolic pathways, offering new insights into disease states and treatment responses.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Medical Diagnostics
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Stable isotope labeled compounds are increasingly used as diagnostic tools in medicine.
- These probes offer precise indications of metabolic changes associated with specific diseases.
- They function by targeting specific enzymes within metabolic pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To expand the scope of diagnostic stable isotope probes for disease detection.
- To illustrate the mechanism of labeled tracer probes in monitoring metabolic pathways.
- To highlight novel applications in studying enzyme activity and metabolic health.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing labeled tracer probes as substrates for specific "gateway" enzymes.
- Monitoring unidirectional precursor-product mass flow to measure pathway turnover.
- Employing stable isotope labeled compounds like 13C-urea and 13C-OTC.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the use of 13C-urea breath test for H. pylori infection detection.
- Showcased how labeled (13C) OTC can track glutathione metabolism by yielding cysteine and 13CO2.
- Indicated potential for tracking homocysteine clearance, CD26, and CYP enzyme activity.
Conclusions:
- Stable isotope labeled probes provide precise in vivo measurements of metabolic pathway function.
- These probes can indicate the presence or absence of disease-related metabolic changes.
- Future applications include titrating enzyme system characteristics and their response to various conditions.