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Volatile organic compounds accurate biomarkers for IBS in children
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PHILADELPHIA — Volatile organic compounds were accurate in diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome among pediatric patients, according to data presented at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting.
“IBS in children is a very common problem that we encounter in pediatrics,” Sophia A. Patel, MD, gastroenterology fellow at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said during her presentation. “Prevalence is recorded up to 16%. It can present as a diagnostic for pediatric gastroenterologists because it is not associated with any abnormal radiologic or endoscopic abnormalities, and there is no reliable objective biomarker or test for its diagnosis. … Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to be very valuable biomarkers in certain disease states.”
Sophia A. Patel
Patel and colleagues recruited 77 patients from the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic of Cleveland Clinic and evaluated their exhaled breaths for VOCs using a selective ion flow tube to determine new biomarkers and patterns for IBS. Twenty-two patients had IBS and 55 served as healthy controls.
Results indicated that the patients with IBS had increased levels of the following VOCs compared with the controls: benzene (2.9 ppb vs. 1.9 ppb; P=.02), dimethyl sulfide (3.2 ppb vs. 1.3 ppb; P=.01), 1-octene (10.3 ppb vs. 5.9 ppb; P=.026) and 3-methyhexane (33.3 ppb vs. 16.4 ppb; P=.015).
“In children with IBS, there is a significant difference in VOCs in the breath samples of these children compared to healthy controls,” Patel said. “This may be a promising and objective way to diagnose IBS in children.”
For more information:
Patel SA. Abstract 12. Presented at: ACG Annual Scientific Meeting, Oct. 20-22, 2014; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: Relevant financial disclosures were not provided by researchers.