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Elevated breath ethane levels in active ulcerative colitis: evidence for excessive lipid peroxidation
S Sedghi1, A Keshavarzian, M Klamut
1Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|December 1, 1994
Summary
Elevated breath ethane levels in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients indicate increased lipid peroxidation, a potential marker for disease activity. This noninvasive breath test may help assess UC severity.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Biochemistry
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves tissue injury potentially mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS).
- Lipid peroxidation is a proposed mechanism for ROS-induced tissue damage.
- Breath ethane and pentane are noninvasive markers for lipid peroxidation of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, respectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure breath ethane excretion in active ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.
- To correlate ethane excretion with UC disease severity and markers of oxidative stress.
Main Methods:
- Breath samples were collected bi-weekly for ethane and pentane analysis using gas chromatography.
- Rectal biopsies were obtained monthly to measure chemiluminescence, a marker of ROS.
- Disease activity was assessed clinically and endoscopically.
Main Results:
- Ethane excretion was significantly higher in UC patients compared to controls (p = 0.013).
- Ethane levels positively correlated with endoscopic score, symptom score, and disease activity.
- Breath ethane strongly correlated with rectal tissue chemiluminescence (r = 0.65; p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Tissue damage in UC may result from ROS-induced lipid peroxidation.
- Breath ethane excretion offers a noninvasive method for assessing UC disease activity.