Volatile compounds in health and disease

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Volatile compounds in exhaled breath and biological liquids are gaining importance for assessing patient status.
• Noninvasive monitoring offers a promising alternative to conventional diagnostic methods.
• These techniques are increasingly supporting clinical diagnostics and therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in noninvasive monitoring of volatile compounds.
• To highlight the potential of these developments in medicine.
• To identify current areas of investigation in breath analysis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath.
• Utilizing advanced analytical techniques, particularly mass spectrometry.
• Monitoring specific breath gases and their concentrations.

Main Results:

• Acetone levels correlate with dietary influences.
• Ammonia concentration indicates dialysis efficacy.
• Hydrogen and (13)CO(2)/(12)CO(2) ratio assess gastric emptying and bowel transit.
• Hydrogen cyanide in breath can signal Pseudomonas infection in cystic fibrosis patients.
• Metabolic profiling through trace compounds aids in identifying pathophysiological conditions.

Conclusions:

• Advanced analytical methods, especially mass spectrometry, are advancing breath analysis for clinical applications.
• Certain trace gas metabolites are already utilized in diagnosis and therapy.
• Ongoing research focuses on identifying tumor biomarkers.
• Hydrogen cyanide detection shows potential for managing cystic fibrosis symptoms.