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Ahmed W, Wilkinson M, Fowler SJ. Generating pooled quality control samples of volatile organic compounds. J Breath Res 2024; 18:041004. [PMID: 39260379 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ad7977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Untargeted analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaled breath and culture headspace are influenced by several confounding factors not represented in reference standards. In this study, we propose a method of generating pooled quality control (QC) samples for untargeted VOC studies using a split-recollection workflow with thermal desorption tubes. Sample tubes were desorbed and split from each sample and recollected onto a single tube, generating a pooled QC sample. This QC sample was then repeatedly desorbed and recollected with a sequentially lower split ratio allowing injection of multiple QC samples. We found pooled QC samples to be representative of complex mixtures using principal component analysis and may be useful in future longitudinal, multi-centre, and validation studies to assess data quality and adjust for batch effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqar Ahmed
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine; School of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Maxim Wilkinson
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine; School of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine; School of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
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2
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Nouri N, Sun N, Hill JE. A feasibility study of sample re-collection in the analysis of selected volatile compounds in breath samples using GC×GC-TOFMS. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1730:465125. [PMID: 38970877 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to assess the feasibility of re-collecting breath samples using the Centri® (Markes International, Bridgend, UK) followed by two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) analysis. The work was conducted in two main phases. In the first phase, we evaluated the re-collection performance by analyzing two sets of standards, including a Grob mix primary solution and a standard mixture of 20 selected volatile compounds (VCs) covering different classes of organic species commonly found in breath samples. The intra-day and inter-day precision (reported as relative standard deviation (RSD),%) for the re-collection of the Grob mix primary solution were in the range of 1 % to14 % and 3 % to12 %, respectively. The re-collection accuracy ranged from 78 % to 97 %. The intra-day RSD for the re-collection of the standard mixture of selected VCs was within 20 % for all compounds, except for acetone and nonane. The precision was within 25 % for all compounds, except for nonane, n-hexane, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and decane, which exhibited less than 36 % RSD. The re-collection accuracy was in the range of 67 % to 129 %. In the second phase of the study, the re-collection performance in breath analysis was evaluated via five repetitive splitting and re-collection of six breath samples obtained from healthy adults, realizing a total of 30 breath analyses. Initially, we evaluated the re-collection performance by considering all features obtained from breath analysis and then focused on the 20 VCs commonly found in breath samples. The re-collection accuracy for total breath features ranged from 86 to 103 %, and the RSDs were in the range of 1.0 % to 10.4 %. For the selected VCs, the re-collection accuracy of all compounds, except for undecane and benzene, was in the range of 71 % to 132 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Nouri
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ning Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jane E Hill
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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3
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Eichinger J, Reiche AM, Dohme-Meier F, Fuchsmann P. Optimization of volatile organic compounds sampling from dairy cow exhaled breath using polymer-based solid-phase extraction cartridges for gas chromatographic analysis. J Breath Res 2024; 18:036001. [PMID: 38547532 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ad38d5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
We explored appropriate technical setups for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaled cow breath by comparing six different polymer-based solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges currently on the market for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) screening. Exhaled breath was sampled at a single timepoint from five lactating dairy cows using six different SPE cartridges (Bond Elut ENV (ENV); Chromabond HRX (HRX); Chromabond HRP (HRP); Chromabond HLB (HLB); Chromabond HR-XCW (XCW) and Chromabond HR-XAW (XAW)). The trapped VOCs were analyzed by dynamic headspace vacuum in-tube extraction GC-MS (DHS-V-ITEX-GC-MS). Depending on the SPE cartridge, we detected 1174-1312 VOCs per cartridge. Most VOCs were alkenes, alkanes, esters, ketones, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, nitriles, ethers, amides, carboxylic acids, alkynes, azoles, terpenes, pyridines, or sulfur-containing compounds. The six SPE cartridges differed in their specificity for the chemical compounds, with the XAW cartridge showing the best specificity for ketones. The greatest differences between the tested SPE cartridges appeared in the detection of specific VOCs. In total, 176 different VOCs were detected with a match factor >80%. The greatest number of specific VOCs was captured by XAW (149), followed by ENV (118), HLB (117), HRP (115), HRX (114), and XCW (114). We conclude that the tested SPE cartridges are suitable for VOC sampling from exhaled cow breath, but the SPE cartridge choice enormously affects the detected chemical groups and the number of detected VOCs. Therefore, an appropriate SPE adsorbent cartridge should be selected according to our proposed inclusion criteria. For targeted metabolomics approaches, the SPE cartridge choice depends on the VOCs or chemical compound groups of interest based on our provided VOC list. For untargeted approaches without information on the animals' metabolic condition, we suggest using multi-sorbent SPE cartridges or multiple cartridges per animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Eichinger
- Ruminant Nutrition and Emissions, Agroscope, Posieux, Switzerland
- University of Hohenheim, Institute of Animal Science, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | | | - Pascal Fuchsmann
- Human Nutrition, Sensory Analysis and Flavour, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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van Vorstenbosch R, Mommers A, Pachen D, van Schooten FJ, Smolinska A. The optimization and comparison of two high-throughput faecal headspace sampling platforms: the microchamber/thermal extractor and hi-capacity sorptive extraction probes (HiSorb). J Breath Res 2024; 18:026007. [PMID: 38237170 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ad2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Disease detection and monitoring using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is becoming increasingly popular. For a variety of (gastrointestinal) diseases the microbiome should be considered. As its output is to large extent volatile, faecal volatilomics carries great potential. One technical limitation is that current faecal headspace analysis requires specialized instrumentation which is costly and typically does not work in harmony with thermal desorption units often utilized in e.g. exhaled breath studies. This lack of harmonization hinders uptake of such analyses by the Volatilomics community. Therefore, this study optimized and compared two recently harmonized faecal headspace sampling platforms:High-capacity Sorptive extraction (HiSorb) probesand theMicrochamber thermal extractor (Microchamber). Statistical design of experiment was applied to find optimal sampling conditions by maximizing reproducibility, the number of VOCs detected, and between subject variation. To foster general applicability those factors were defined using semi-targeted as well as untargeted metabolic profiles. HiSorb probes were found to result in a faster sampling procedure, higher number of detected VOCs, and higher stability. The headspace collection using the Microchamber resulted in a lower number of detected VOCs, longer sampling times and decreased stability despite a smaller number of interfering VOCs and no background signals. Based on the observed profiles, recommendations are provided on pre-processing and study design when using either one of both platforms. Both can be used to perform faecal headspace collection, but altogether HiSorb is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert van Vorstenbosch
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Mommers
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniëlle Pachen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Frederik-Jan van Schooten
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Agnieszka Smolinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Bajo-Fernández M, Souza-Silva ÉA, Barbas C, Rey-Stolle MF, García A. GC-MS-based metabolomics of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath: applications in health and disease. A review. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1295955. [PMID: 38298553 PMCID: PMC10828970 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1295955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Exhaled breath analysis, with particular emphasis on volatile organic compounds, represents a growing area of clinical research due to its obvious advantages over other diagnostic tests. Numerous pathologies have been extensively investigated for the identification of specific biomarkers in exhalates through metabolomics. However, the transference of breath tests to clinics remains limited, mainly due to deficiency in methodological standardization. Critical steps include the selection of breath sample types, collection devices, and enrichment techniques. GC-MS is the reference analytical technique for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in exhalates, especially during the biomarker discovery phase in metabolomics. This review comprehensively examines and compares metabolomic studies focusing on cancer, lung diseases, and infectious diseases. In addition to delving into the experimental designs reported, it also provides a critical discussion of the methodological aspects, ranging from the experimental design and sample collection to the identification of potential pathology-specific biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Bajo-Fernández
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Érica A. Souza-Silva
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
- Departmento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, Brazil
| | - Coral Barbas
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Ma Fernanda Rey-Stolle
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
| | - Antonia García
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Spain
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Jung AE, Davidson CN, Land CJ, Dash AI, Guess BT, Edmonds HS, Pitsch RL, Harshman SW. Impact of thermal desorption tubes on the variability of exhaled breath data. J Breath Res 2023; 18:016008. [PMID: 38096565 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ad15a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Due to the overall low abundance of volatile compounds in exhaled breath, it is necessary to preconcentrate the sample prior to traditional thermal desorption (TD) gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. While certain aspects of TD tubes, such as volatile storage, have been evaluated, many aspects remain uncharacterized. Two common TD tubes, Tenax TA and Biomonitoring 5TD tubes, were evaluated for background content and flow rate variability. The data illustrate that the Biomonitoring 5TD tubes have the highest number (23) and abundance of background contamination greater than 3x the mean noise when compared to Tenax TA (13) and empty tubes (9). Tentative identifications of the compounds in the background contamination experiment show that greater than 59% (16/27) of the compounds identified have been reported in the breath literature. The data illustrate the TD tube background abundance could account for more than 70% of the chromatographic signal from exhaled breath for these select compounds. Flow rate measurements of 200 Tenax TA and 200 Biomonitoring 5TD tubes show a large range in measured flow rates among the TD tubes (Tenax: 252.9-284.0 ml min-1, 5TD: 220.6-255.1 ml min-1). Finally, TD tubes of each type, Tenax TA and Biomonitoring 5TD, previously established to have high, medium, and low flow rates, show insignificant differences (p> 0.05) among the tubes of different flow rates, using both gas standards and an exhaled breath from a peppermint experiment. Collectively, these results establish overall background compounds attributed to each TD tube type tested. Additionally, while measured flow rate variability is present and plausibly impacts exhaled breath results, the data demonstrate no statistically significant difference was observed between tubes showing high, medium, and low flow rates from two separate sample types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Jung
- UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Christina N Davidson
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Christopher J Land
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Aubrianne I Dash
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Barlow T Guess
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Heidi S Edmonds
- United States Air Force Academy, 2304 Cadet Drive, United States Air Force Academy, CO 80840, United States of America
| | - Rhonda L Pitsch
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Sean W Harshman
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
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7
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Hayton C, Ahmed W, Cunningham P, Piper-Hanley K, Pearmain L, Chaudhuri N, Leonard C, Blaikley JF, Fowler SJ. Changes in lung epithelial cell volatile metabolite profile induced by pro-fibrotic stimulation with TGF- β1. J Breath Res 2023; 17:046012. [PMID: 37619557 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/acf391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have shown promise as potential biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Measuring VOCs in the headspace ofin vitromodels of lung fibrosis may offer a method of determining the origin of those detected in exhaled breath. The aim of this study was to determine the VOCs associated with two lung cell lines (A549 and MRC-5 cells) and changes associated with stimulation of cells with the pro-fibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. A dynamic headspace sampling method was used to sample the headspace of A549 cells and MRC-5 cells. These were compared to media control samples and to each other to identify VOCs which discriminated between cell lines. Cells were then stimulated with the TGF-β1 and samples were compared between stimulated and unstimulated cells. Samples were analysed using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and supervised analysis was performed using sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA). Supervised analysis revealed differential VOC profiles unique to each of the cell lines and from the media control samples. Significant changes in VOC profiles were induced by stimulation of cell lines with TGF-β1. In particular, several terpenoids (isopinocarveol, sativene and 3-carene) were increased in stimulated cells compared to unstimulated cells. VOC profiles differ between lung cell lines and alter in response to pro-fibrotic stimulation. Increased abundance of terpenoids in the headspace of stimulated cells may reflect TGF-β1 cell signalling activity and metabolic reprogramming. This may offer a potential biomarker target in exhaled breath in IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conal Hayton
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- NIHR-Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Waqar Ahmed
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Cunningham
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Piper-Hanley
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence Pearmain
- NIHR-Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nazia Chaudhuri
- School of Medicine, The University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Londonderry, United Kingdom
| | - Colm Leonard
- NIHR-Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - John F Blaikley
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- NIHR-Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- NIHR-Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Westhoff M, Keßler M, Baumbach JI. Alveolar gradients in breath analysis. A pilot study with comparison of room air and inhaled air by simultaneous measurements using ion mobility spectrometry. J Breath Res 2023; 17:046009. [PMID: 37611565 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/acf338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Analyzing exhaled breath samples, especially using a highly sensitive method such as MCC/IMS (multi-capillary column/ion mobility spectrometry), may also detect analytes that are derived from exogenous production. In this regard, there is a discussion about the optimal interpretation of exhaled breath, either by considering volatile organic compounds (VOCs) only in exhaled breath or by additionally considering the composition of room air and calculating the alveolar gradients. However, there are no data on whether the composition and concentration of VOCs in room air are identical to those in truly inhaled air directly before analyzing the exhaled breath. The current study aimed to determine whether the VOCs in room air, which are usually used for the calculation of alveolar gradients, are identical to the VOCs in truly inhaled air. For the measurement of inhaled air and room air, two IMS, each coupled with an MCC that provided a pre-separation of the VOCs, were used in parallel. One device was used for sampling room air and the other for sampling inhaled air. Each device was coupled with a newly invented system that cleaned room air and provided a clean carrier gas, whereas formerly synthetic air had to be used as a carrier gas. In this pilot study, a healthy volunteer underwent three subsequent runs of sampling of inhaled air and simultaneous sampling and analysis of room air. Three of the selected 11 peaks (P4-unknown, P5-1-Butanol, and P9-Furan, 2-methyl-) had significantly higher intensities during inspiration than in room air, and four peaks (P1-1-Propanamine, N-(phenylmethylene), P2-2-Nonanone, P3-Benzene, 1,2,4-trimethyl-, and P11-Acetyl valeryl) had higher intensities in room air. Furthermore, four peaks (P6-Benzaldehyde, P7-Pentane, 2-methyl-, P8-Acetone, and P10-2-Propanamine) showed inconsistent differences in peak intensities between inhaled air and room air. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to compare simultaneous sampling of room air and inhaled air using MCC/IMS. The simultaneous measurement of inhaled air and room air showed that using room air for the calculation of alveolar gradients in breath analysis resulted in different alveolar gradient values than those obtained by measuring truly inhaled air.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Westhoff
- Department of Pneumology, Sleep and Respiratory Medicine, Hemer Lung Clinic, Theo-Funccius-Str. 1, 58675 Hemer, Germany
- Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, 58448 Witten, Germany
| | - M Keßler
- University of Applied Sciences Münster, Hüfferstrasse 27, 48149 Münster, Germany
- B. Braun Melsungen AG, Branch Dortmund, Center of Competence Breath Analysis, Otto-Hahn-Str. 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - J I Baumbach
- Technical University Dortmund, Faculty Bio- and Chemical Engineering, Emil-Figge-Str. 70, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
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Shawn ST, Harshman SW, Davidson CN, Lee JH, Jung AE, Parker A, Hawkins MA, Stamps BW, Pitsch RL, Martin JA. Sterilization and reuse of masks for a standardized exhaled breath collection device by autoclaving. J Breath Res 2023; 17:036006. [PMID: 37352843 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ace127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Exhaled breath research has been hindered by a lack of standardization in collection and analysis methodologies. Recently, the Respiration Collector forIn VitroAnalysis (ReCIVA) sampling device has illustrated the potential to provide a consistent and convenient method for exhaled breath collection onto adsorbent media. However, the significant costs, compared to exhaled breath bags, associated with the standardized collector is believed to be the reason for limited widespread use by researchers in the exhaled breath field. For example, in addition to the sampling hardware, a single-use disposable silicon mask affixed with a filter is required for each exhaled breath collection. To reduce the financial burden, streamline device upkeep, reduce waste material, and ease the logistical burden associated with the single use masks, it is hypothesized that the consumable masks and filters could be sterilized by autoclaving for reuse. The masks were contaminated, autoclaved, and then tested for any surviving pathogens with spore strip standards and by measuring the optical density of cultures. The compound background collected when using the ReCIVA with new masks was compared to that collected with repeatedly autoclaved masks via thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). The capacity to block particulate matter of new filters was tested against that of autoclaved filters by introducing an aerosol and comparing pre-filter and post-filter particle counts. Finally, breath samplings were conducted with new masks and autoclaved masks to test for changes in measurements by TD-GC-MS of exogenous and endogenous compounds. The data illustrate the autoclave cycle sterilizes masks spiked with saliva to background levels (p= 0.2527). The results indicate that background levels of siloxane compounds are increased as masks are repetitively autoclaved. The data show that mask filters have significant breakthrough of 1μm particles after five repetitive autoclaving cycles compared to new filters (p= 0.0219). Finally, exhaled breath results utilizing a peppermint ingestion protocol indicate two compounds associated with peppermint, menthone and 1-Methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-cyclohexanol, and an endogenous exhaled breath compound, isoprene, show no significant difference if sampled with a new mask or a mask autoclaved five times (p> 0.1063). Collectively, the data indicate that ReCIVA masks and filters can be sterilized via autoclave and reused. The results suggest ReCIVA mask and filter reuse should be limited to three times to limit potentially problematic background contaminants and filter dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T Shawn
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Sean W Harshman
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Christina N Davidson
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Jae Hwan Lee
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Anne E Jung
- UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Ariel Parker
- UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - M Aaron Hawkins
- UES Inc., 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Blake W Stamps
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2977 Hobson Way, Area B, Building 653, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Rhonda L Pitsch
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A Martin
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2977 Hobson Way, Area B, Building 653, Wright- Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
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Thamatam N, Ahn J, Chowdhury M, Sharma A, Gupta P, Marr LC, Nazhandali L, Agah M. A MEMS-enabled portable gas chromatography injection system for trace analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1261:341209. [PMID: 37147055 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Growing concerns about environmental conditions, public health, and disease diagnostics have led to the rapid development of portable sampling techniques to characterize trace-level volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from various sources. A MEMS-based micropreconcentrator (μPC) is one such approach that drastically reduces the size, weight, and power constraints offering greater sampling flexibility in many applications. However, the adoption of μPCs on a commercial scale is hindered by a lack of thermal desorption units (TDUs) that easily integrate μPCs with gas chromatography (GC) systems equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) or a mass spectrometer (MS). Here, we report a highly versatile μPC-based, single-stage autosampler-injection unit for traditional, portable, and micro-GCs. The system uses μPCs packaged in 3D-printed swappable cartridges and is based on a highly modular interfacing architecture that allows easy-to-remove, gas-tight fluidic, and detachable electrical connections (FEMI). This study describes the FEMI architecture and demonstrates the FEMI-Autosampler (FEMI-AS) prototype (9.5 cm × 10 cm x 20 cm, ≈500 gms). The system was integrated with GC-FID, and the performance was investigated using synthetic gas samples and ambient air. The results were contrasted with the sorbent tube sampling technique using TD-GC-MS. FEMI-AS could generate sharp injection plugs (≈240 ms) and detect analytes with concentrations <15 ppb within 20 s and <100 ppt within 20 min of sampling time. With more than 30 detected trace-level compounds from ambient air, the demonstrated FEMI-AS, and the FEMI architecture significantly accelerate the adoption of μPCs on a broader scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipun Thamatam
- VT MEMS Lab, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Jeonghyeon Ahn
- VT MEMS Lab, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Mustahsin Chowdhury
- VT MEMS Lab, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Arjun Sharma
- CESCA, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Poonam Gupta
- CESCA, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Linsey C Marr
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Leyla Nazhandali
- CESCA, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States
| | - Masoud Agah
- VT MEMS Lab, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, United States.
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11
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Ahmed WM, Fenn D, White IR, Dixon B, Nijsen TME, Knobel HH, Brinkman P, Van Oort PMP, Schultz MJ, Dark P, Goodacre R, Felton T, Bos LDJ, Fowler SJ. Microbial Volatiles as Diagnostic Biomarkers of Bacterial Lung Infection in Mechanically Ventilated Patients. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:1059-1066. [PMID: 36310531 PMCID: PMC10029988 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early and accurate recognition of respiratory pathogens is crucial to prevent increased risk of mortality in critically ill patients. Microbial-derived volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) in exhaled breath could be used as noninvasive biomarkers of infection to support clinical diagnosis. METHODS In this study, we investigated the diagnostic potential of in vitro-confirmed mVOCs in the exhaled breath of patients under mechanical ventilation from the BreathDx study. Samples were analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS Pathogens from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures were identified in 45 of 89 patients and Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly identified pathogen (n = 15). Of 19 mVOCs detected in the in vitro culture headspace of 4 common respiratory pathogens (S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli), 14 were found in exhaled breath samples. Higher concentrations of 2 mVOCs were found in the exhaled breath of patients infected with S. aureus compared to those without (3-methylbutanal: P < .01, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.81-0.87; and 3-methylbutanoic acid: P = .01, AUROC = 0.79-0.80). In addition, bacteria identified from BAL cultures that are known to metabolize tryptophan (E. coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Haemophilus influenzae) were grouped and found to produce higher concentrations of indole compared to breath samples with culture-negative (P = .034) and other pathogen-positive (P = .049) samples. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the capability of using mVOCs to detect the presence of specific pathogen groups with potential to support clinical diagnosis. Although not all mVOCs were found in patient samples within this small pilot study, further targeted and qualitative investigation is warranted using multicenter clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqar M Ahmed
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic Fenn
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC-location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anaesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iain R White
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Laboratory for Environmental and Life Science, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - Breanna Dixon
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hugo H Knobel
- Eurofins Materials Science Netherlands BV, High Tech Campus, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Brinkman
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC-location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pouline M P Van Oort
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC Location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcus J Schultz
- Intensive Care, Amsterdam UMC Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Affairs, Hamilton Medical AG, Chur, Switzerland
| | - Paul Dark
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Critical Care Unit, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Royston Goodacre
- Centre for Metabolomics Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Felton
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Lieuwe D J Bos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC-location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anaesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
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12
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Harshman SW, Jung AE, Strayer KE, Alfred BL, Mattamana J, Veigl AR, Dash AI, Salter CE, Stoner-Dixon MA, Kelly JT, Davidson CN, Pitsch RL, Martin JA. Investigation of an individual with background levels of exhaled isoprene: a case study. J Breath Res 2023; 17. [PMID: 36596256 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/acaf98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Isoprene is one of the most abundant and most frequently evaluated volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath. Recently, several individuals with background levels of exhaled isoprene have been identified. Here, case study data are provided for an individual, identified from a previous study, with this low prevalence phenotype. It is hypothesized that the individual will illustrate low levels of exhaled isoprene at rest and during exercise. At rest, the subject (7.1 ppb) shows background (μ= 14.2 ± 7.0 ppb) levels of exhaled isoprene while the control group illustrates significantly higher quantities (μ= 266.2 ± 72.3 ppb) via proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). The result, background levels of isoprene at rest, is verified by thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) collections with the individual showing -3.6 ppb exhaled isoprene while the room background containedμ= -4.1 ± 0.1 ppb isoprene. As isoprene has been shown previously to increase at the initiation of exercise, exercise bike experiments were performed with the individual identified with low isoprene, yielding low and invariant levels of exhaled isoprene (μ= 6.6 ± 0.1 ppb) during the exercise while control subjects illustrated an approximate 2.5-fold increase (preμ= 286.3 ± 43.8 ppb, exerciseμ= 573.0 ± 147.8 ppb) in exhaled isoprene upon exercise start. Additionally, exhaled breath bag data showed a significant decrease in isoprene (delta post/pre, p = 0.0078) of the control group following the exercise regimen. Finally, TD-GC-MS results for exhaled isoprene from the individual's family (mother, father, sister and maternal grandmother) illustrated that the mother and father exhibited isoprene values (28.5 ppb, 77.2 ppb) below control samples 95% confidence interval (μ= 166.8 ± 43.3 ppb) while the individual's sister (182.0 ppb) was within the control range. These data provide evidence for a large dynamic range in exhaled isoprene in this family. Collectively, these results provide additional data surrounding the existence of a small population of individuals with background levels of exhaled isoprene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean W Harshman
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Anne E Jung
- UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Kraig E Strayer
- UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Bryan L Alfred
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - John Mattamana
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Alena R Veigl
- UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Aubrianne I Dash
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Charles E Salter
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Madison A Stoner-Dixon
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - John T Kelly
- UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Christina N Davidson
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Rhonda L Pitsch
- Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHBBA, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A Martin
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, 2977 Hobson Way, Area B, Building 653, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, United States of America
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13
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Westphal K, Dudzik D, Waszczuk-Jankowska M, Graff B, Narkiewicz K, Markuszewski MJ. Common Strategies and Factors Affecting Off-Line Breath Sampling and Volatile Organic Compounds Analysis Using Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Metabolites 2022; 13:8. [PMID: 36676933 PMCID: PMC9866406 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
An analysis of exhaled breath enables specialists to noninvasively monitor biochemical processes and to determine any pathological state in the human body. Breath analysis holds the greatest potential to remold and personalize diagnostics; however, it requires a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration of many specialists. Despite the fact that breath is considered to be a less complex matrix than blood, it is not commonly used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for early detection of disordered conditions due to its problematic sampling, analysis, and storage. This review is intended to determine, standardize, and marshal experimental strategies for successful, reliable, and especially, reproducible breath analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Westphal
- Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Danuta Dudzik
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Waszczuk-Jankowska
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Beata Graff
- Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Narkiewicz
- Department of Hypertension and Diabetology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-214 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Michał Jan Markuszewski
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-416 Gdansk, Poland
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14
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Alahmadi F, Wilkinson M, Keevil B, Niven R, Fowler SJ. Short- and medium-term effect of inhaled corticosteroids on exhaled breath biomarkers in severe asthma. J Breath Res 2022; 16. [PMID: 35724643 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac7a57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the mainstay of therapy in asthma, but benefits vary due to disease heterogeneity. Steroid insensitivity is a particular problem in severe asthma, where patients may require systemic corticosteroids and/or biologics. Biomarkers sensitive to ICS over a short period of time could inform earlier and more personalised treatment choices. OBJECTIVE To investigate how exhaled breath biomarkers change over two-hours and one-week following monitored ICS dosing in severe asthma patients with evidence of uncontrolled airway inflammation. METHOD Patients with severe asthma and elevated FeNO (≥45ppb, indicative of active airway inflammation) were recruited. Exhaled breath biomarkers were evaluated using fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), exhaled breath temperature (EBT), particles in exhaled breath (PExA) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples were collected over 2 hrs following observed inhalation of 1000mcg fluticasone propionate, and at a second visit 1 week after taking the same dose daily via an inhaler monitoring device that recorded correct actuation and inhalation. Changes in parameters over 2 hrs were analysed by the Friedman test and 1 week by Wilcoxon's test (p-value for significance set at 0.05; for VOCs false discovery rate q of 0.1 by Benjamini-Hochberg method applied). RESULTS 17 participants (9 male) were recruited with median (IQR) age 45 (36-59) yrs. EBT (p<0.05) and levels of six VOCs (q<0.1) fell over the 2 hrs after high dose ICS; there were no changes in FeNO or PEXA. After one week of using high dose ICS, there were falls in FeNO, EBT and two VOCs (p<0.05), but no changes in PEXA. CONCLUSION Reduction in exhaled breath temperature over the short and medium term after high dose ICS may reflect airway vascular changes, and this, together with the observed changes in exhaled VOCs, merits further investigation as potential markers of inhaled corticosteroid use and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Alahmadi
- Respiratory Therapy Department,, Taibah University, College of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences,, Taibah University,, Madinah,, Madinah, Al Madinah, 42353, SAUDI ARABIA
| | - Max Wilkinson
- Respiratory Research Group, The University of Manchester, Education and Research Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road , Manchester, M23 9LT, Manchester, M13 9PL, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Brian Keevil
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M23 9LT, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Rob Niven
- Respiratory Research Group, The University of Manchester, Education and Research Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road , Manchester, M23 9LT, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Respiratory Research Group, The University of Manchester, Education and Research Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road , Manchester, M23 9LT, Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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15
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Bhavra K, Wilde M, Richardson M, Cordell R, Thomas CLP, Zhao B, Bryant L, Brightling CE, Ibrahim W, Salman D, Siddiqui S, Monks P, Gaillard E. The utility of a standardised breath sampler in school age children within a real-world prospective study. J Breath Res 2022; 16. [PMID: 35168217 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac5526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Clinical assessment of paediatric asthmatics is problematic, and non-invasive biomarkers are needed urgently. Monitoring exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an attractive alternative to invasive tests (blood and sputum), and may be used as frequently as required. Standardised reproducible breath-sampling is essential for exhaled-VOC analysis, and although the ReCIVA (Owlstone Medical Limited) breath-sampler was designed to satisfy this requirement, paediatric use was not in the original design brief. The efficacy of the ReCIVA for sampling paediatric-breath has been studied, and 90 breath-samples from 64 children (5-15 years) with, and without asthma (controls), were collected with two different ReCIVA units. Seventy samples (77.8%) contained the specified 1L of sampled-breath. Median sampling times were longer in children with acute asthma (770.2 s, range: 532.2-900.1 s) compared to stable asthma (690.6 s, range: 477.5-900.1 s; p=0.01). The ReCIVA successfully detected operational faults, in 21 samples. A leak, caused by a poor fit of the face mask seal was the most common (15); the others were USB communication-faults (5); and, a single instance of a file-creation error. Paediatric breath-profiles were reliably monitored, however synchronisation of sampling to breathing-phases was sometimes lost, causing some breaths not to be sampled, and some to be sampled continuously. This occurred in 60 (66.7%) of the samples and was a source of variability. Three samples were lost from a combination of factors, however, and importantly, multi-variate modelling of untargeted VOC analysis indicated the absence of significant batch effects for 8 operational variables. The ReCIVA appears suitable for paediatric breath-sampling. Post-processing of breath-sample meta-data is recommended to assess the quality of sample-acquisition. Further, future studies should explore the effect of pump-synchronisation faults on recovered VOC profiles, and mask sizes to fit all ages will reduce the potential for leaks and importantly, provide higher levels of comfort to children with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirandeep Bhavra
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, Leicester Royal Infirmary, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (Respiratory theme), PO Box 65, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester, LE2 7LX, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Michael Wilde
- University of Leicester, Department of Chemistry, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 7RH, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Matthew Richardson
- Loughborough University School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Rebecca Cordell
- University of Leicester Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - C L Paul Thomas
- University of Leicester Department of Respiratory Sciences, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (Respiratory theme), Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester, East Midlands, LE3 9QP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Bo Zhao
- University of Leicester College of Life Sciences, Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (Respiratory theme), Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Luke Bryant
- University of Leicester Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Christopher E Brightling
- Loughborough University School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Wadah Ibrahim
- Loughborough University School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Dahlia Salman
- University of Leicester Department of Respiratory Sciences, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (Respiratory theme),, Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester, East Midlands, LE3 9QP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Salman Siddiqui
- Loughborough University School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Paul Monks
- University of Leicester, Department of Chemistry, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 7RH, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Erol Gaillard
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, College of Life Sciences, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 7RH, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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16
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Myers R, Ruszkiewicz DM, Meister A, Atkar-Khattra S, Bartolomeu CL, Thomas CLP, Lam S. Breath collection protocol for SARs-CoV-2 testing in an ambulatory setting. J Breath Res 2022; 16. [DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac4e2c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Breath research during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic offers an opportunity for discovery of a rapid point-of-care screening test, but also introduces a hazard to researchers collecting, transporting and analyzing breath samples not only for COVID -19 research, but all human breath-related research during the ongoing pandemic. Safe workflows to protect study participants and staff collecting and analysing the samples must be determined. We developed a SARS-CoV-2 breath test protocol for collection and processing of breath samples in ambulatory care COVID-19 testing sites and prospectively evaluated the protocol. 528 breath samples from 393 participants at COVID-19 testing sites were safely collected, transported, stored, and analysed with zero transmission to staff. Our method development for the safe collection of samples included the examination of 2 different filters for added safety. We discovered the use of filters leads to increased sample contamination and/or reduction of endogenous features in breath samples. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for all breath collection while SARS-CoV-2 remains wide-spread through the general population. We have demonstrated that use of completely disposable breath collection devices and PPE, are sufficient for safe collection. Filters in the workflow add complexity to an already complex breath matrix and may compromise bio-safety.
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17
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Biagini D, Fusi J, Vezzosi A, Oliveri P, Ghimenti S, Lenzi A, Salvo P, Daniele S, Scarfò G, Vivaldi FM, Bonini A, Martini C, Franzoni F, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Effects of long-term vegan diet on breath composition. J Breath Res 2022; 16. [PMID: 35051905 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac4d41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The composition of exhaled breath derives from an intricate combination of normal and abnormal physiological processes that are modified by the consumption of food and beverages, circadian rhythms, bacterial infections, and genetics as well as exposure to xenobiotics. This complexity, which results wide intra- and inter-individual variability and is further influenced by sampling conditions, hinders the identification of specific biomarkers and makes it difficult to differentiate between pathological and nominally healthy subjects. The identification of a "normal" breath composition and the relative influence of the aforementioned parameters would make breath analyses much faster for diagnostic applications. We thus compared, for the first time, the breath composition of age-matched volunteers following a vegan and a Mediterranean omnivorous diet in order to evaluate the impact of diet on breath composition. Mixed breath was collected from 38 nominally healthy volunteers who were asked to breathe into a two-liter handmade Nalophan bag. Exhalation flow rate and carbon dioxide values were monitored during breath sampling. An aliquot (100 mL) of breath was loaded into a sorbent tube (250 mg of Tenax GR, 60/80 mesh) before being analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Breath profiling using TD-GC-MS analysis identified five compounds (methanol, 1-propanol, pentane, hexane, and hexanal), thus enabling differentiation between samples collected from the different group members . Principal component analysis showed a clear separation between groups, suggesting that breath analysis could be used to study the influence of dietary habits in the fields of nutrition and metabolism. Surprisingly, one Italian woman and her brother showed extremely low breath isoprene levels (about 5 ppbv), despite their normal lipidic profile and respiratory data, such as flow rate and pCO2. Further investigations to reveal the reasons behind low isoprene levels in breath would help reveal the origin of isoprene in breath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Jonathan Fusi
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Annasilvia Vezzosi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Paolo Oliveri
- Department of Drug and Food Chemistry and Technology, University of Genoa, Via Brigata Salerno, 13, Genoa, 16100, ITALY
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, ITALY
| | - Simona Daniele
- University of Pisa Department of Pharmacy, Via Bonanno Pisano, 12, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Giorgia Scarfò
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Federico Maria Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Claudia Martini
- University of Pisa Department of Pharmacy, Via Bonanno Pisano, 12, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Ferdinando Franzoni
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
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18
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Ahmed W, White IR, Wilkinson M, Johnson CF, Rattray N, Kishore AK, Goodacre R, Smith CJ, Fowler SJ. Breath and plasma metabolomics to assess inflammation in acute stroke. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21949. [PMID: 34753981 PMCID: PMC8578671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01268-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is strongly implicated in both injury and repair processes occurring after stroke. In this exploratory study we assessed the feasibility of repeated sampling of exhaled volatile organic compounds and performed an untargeted metabolomic analysis of plasma collected at multiple time periods after stroke. Metabolic profiles were compared with the time course of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Serial breath sampling was well-tolerated by all patients and the measurement appears feasible in this group. We found that exhaled decanal tracks CRP and IL-6 levels post-stroke and correlates with several metabolic pathways associated with a post-stroke inflammatory response. This suggests that measurement of breath and blood metabolites could facilitate development of novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Results are discussed in relation to the utility of breath analysis in stroke care, such as in monitoring recovery and complications including stroke associated infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqar Ahmed
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Iain R White
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Laboratory for Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - Maxim Wilkinson
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Craig F Johnson
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Nicholas Rattray
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amit K Kishore
- Greater Manchester Comprehensive Stroke Centre, Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford, UK
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Royston Goodacre
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Craig J Smith
- Greater Manchester Comprehensive Stroke Centre, Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford, UK.
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
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19
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Lomonaco T, Salvo P, Ghimenti S, Biagini D, Vivaldi F, Bonini A, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Stability of volatile organic compounds in sorbent tubes following SARS-CoV-2 inactivation procedures. J Breath Res 2021; 15. [PMID: 33752195 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abf0b4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a highly transmissible respiratory illness that has rapidly spread all over the world causing more than 115 million cases and 2.5 million deaths. Most epidemiological projections estimate that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the infection will circulate in the next few years and raise enormous economic and social issues. COVID-19 has a dramatic impact on health care systems and patient management, and is delaying or stopping breath research activities due to the risk of infection to the operators following contact with patients, potentially infected samples or contaminated equipment. In this scenario, we investigated whether virus inactivation procedures, based on a thermal treatment (60 °C for 1 h) or storage of tubes at room temperature for 72 h, could be used to allow the routine breath analysis workflow to carry on with an optimal level of safety during the pandemic. Tests were carried out using dry and humid gaseous samples containing about 100 representative chemicals found in exhaled breath and ambient air. Samples were collected in commercially available sorbent tubes, i.e. Tenax GR and a combination of Tenax TA, Carbograph 1TD and Carboxen 1003. Our results showed that all compounds were stable at room temperature up to 72 h and that sample humidity was the key factor affecting the stability of the compounds upon thermal treatment. Tenax GR-based sorbent tubes were less impacted by the thermal treatment, showing variations in the range 20%-30% for most target analytes. A significant loss of aldehydes and sulphur compounds was observed using carbon molecular sieve-based tubes. In this case, a dry purge step before inactivation at 60 °C significantly reduced the loss of the target analytes, whose variations were comparable to the method variability. Finally, a breath analysis workflow including a SARS-CoV-2 inactivation treatment is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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20
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Wilkinson M, White IR, Hamshere K, Holz O, Schuchardt S, Bellagambi FG, Lomonaco T, Biagini D, Di Francesco F, Fowler SJ. The peppermint breath test: a benchmarking protocol for breath sampling and analysis using GC-MS. J Breath Res 2020; 15. [PMID: 33302258 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abd28c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Exhaled breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which offers the potential for diagnosing and monitoring a wide range of diseases. As the breath research field has grown, sampling and analytical practices have become highly varied between groups. Standardisation would allow meta-analyses of data from multiple studies and greater confidence in published results. The Peppermint Consortium has been formed to address this task of standardisation. In the current study we aimed to generate initial benchmark values for thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) analysis of breath samples containing peppermint-derived VOCs. Headspace analysis of peppermint oil capsules was performed to determine compounds of interest. Ten healthy participants were recruited by three groups. Each participant provided a baseline breath sample prior to taking a peppermint capsule, with further samples collected at 60, 90, 165, 285 and 360 min following ingestion. Sampling and analytical protocols were different for each institution, in line with their usual practice. Samples were analysed by TD-GC-MS and benchmarking values determined for the time taken for detected peppermint VOCs to return to baseline values. Sixteen compounds were identified in the capsule headspace. Additionally, 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole was uniquely found in the breath samples, with a washout profile that suggested it was a product of peppermint metabolism. Five compounds (α-pinene, β-pinene, eucalyptol, menthol and menthone) were quantified by all three groups. Differences in recovery were observed between the groups, particularly for menthone and menthol. The average time taken for VOCs to return to baseline was selected as the benchmark and were 441, 648, 1736, 643 and 375 min for α-pinene, β-pinene, eucalyptol, menthone and menthol respectively. An initial set of easy-to-measure benchmarking values for assessing the performance of TD-GC-MS systems for the analysis of VOCs in breath is presented. These values will be updated when more groups provide additional data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Wilkinson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Iain R White
- Laboratory of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, 5000, SLOVENIA
| | - Katie Hamshere
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Olaf Holz
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (BREATH), Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, Hannover, GERMANY
| | - Sven Schuchardt
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (BREATH), Fraunhofer-Institut fur Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin, Hannover, GERMANY
| | - Francesca G Bellagambi
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 5, rue de la Doua, Villeurbanne, FRANCE, 69100, FRANCE
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Denise Biagini
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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21
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Bellagambi FG, Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Biagini D, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Determination of peppermint compounds in breath by needle trap micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Breath Res 2020; 15. [PMID: 33238253 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abcdec] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Breath analysis is an alternative approach for disease diagnosis and for monitoring therapy. The lack of standardized procedures for collecting and analysing breath samples currently limits its use in clinical practice. In order to overcome this limitation, the "Peppermint Consortium" was established within the breath community to carry out breath wash-out experiments and define reference values for a panel of compounds contained in the peppermint oil capsule. Here, we present a needle trap micro-extraction technique coupled with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for a rapid and accurate determination of alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, eucalyptol, menthofuran, menthone, menthol and menthyl acetate in mixed breath samples. Detection limits between 1 and 20 pptv were observed when 25 mL of a humidified standard gas mixture were loaded into a needle trap device at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. Inter- and intra-day precisions were lower than 15%, thus confirming the reliability of the assay. Our procedure was used to analyse breath samples taken from a nominally healthy volunteer who were invited to swallow a 200 mg capsule of peppermint oil. Six samples were collected at various times within six hours of ingestion. Analyte concentrations were not affected by the sampling mode (i.e. mixed vs. end-tidal fraction), whereas respiratory rate and exhalation flow rate values slightly influenced the concentration of the target compounds in breath samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca G Bellagambi
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 5, rue de la Doua, Villeurbanne, FRANCE, 69100, FRANCE
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
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