BACKGROUND: Liver diseases can cause a sweet, musty aroma of the breath, called fetor hepaticus. Even in a stage of cirrhosis, the disease can be asymptomatic for many years. Breath analysis might be helpful to detect occult liver pathology. STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether specific breath odor compounds can be found in liver patients, suffering from cirrhosis, which might be useful for diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two liver patients and 50 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Alveolar air was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Using discriminant analysis a model for liver disease was built. RESULTS: Dimethyl sulfide, acetone, 2-butanone and 2-pentanone were increased in breath of liver patients, while indole and dimethyl selenide were decreased. Sensitivity and specificity of the model were respectively 100% and 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Fetor hepaticus is caused by dimethyl sulfide and to a lower extent by ketones in alveolar air. Breath analysis by GC-MS makes it possible to discriminate patients with breath malodor related to hepatic pathologies.
BACKGROUND:Liver diseases can cause a sweet, musty aroma of the breath, called fetor hepaticus. Even in a stage of cirrhosis, the disease can be asymptomatic for many years. Breath analysis might be helpful to detect occult liver pathology. STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether specific breath odor compounds can be found in liver patients, suffering from cirrhosis, which might be useful for diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two liver patients and 50 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Alveolar air was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Using discriminant analysis a model for liver disease was built. RESULTS:Dimethyl sulfide, acetone, 2-butanone and 2-pentanone were increased in breath of liver patients, while indole and dimethyl selenide were decreased. Sensitivity and specificity of the model were respectively 100% and 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Fetor hepaticus is caused by dimethyl sulfide and to a lower extent by ketones in alveolar air. Breath analysis by GC-MS makes it possible to discriminate patients with breath malodor related to hepatic pathologies.
Authors: Véronique Perraud; Jeremy R Horne; Andrew S Martinez; Jaroslaw Kalinowski; Simone Meinardi; Matthew L Dawson; Lisa M Wingen; Donald Dabdub; Donald R Blake; R Benny Gerber; Barbara J Finlayson-Pitts Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2015-10-19 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Raphael B M Aggio; Ben de Lacy Costello; Paul White; Tanzeela Khalid; Norman M Ratcliffe; Raj Persad; Chris S J Probert Journal: J Breath Res Date: 2016-02-11 Impact factor: 3.262
Authors: Michael T Costanzo; Jared J Boock; Robin H J Kemperman; Michael S Wei; Christopher R Beekman; Richard A Yost Journal: Int J Mass Spectrom Date: 2016-12-08 Impact factor: 1.986