Molecular breath analysis identifies the breathprint of renal failure

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.