PLOS ONE · 10 authors, 6 centres
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This systematic review of 10 animal studies found that exhaled breath volatile organic compound analysis shows promise for detecting gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases, but poor methodological reporting and heterogeneity in study designs hinder comparison and translational potential.
This systematic review identified 10 animal studies (mostly in rats) investigating exhaled breath volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis for gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases, including liver failure, NASH, ischemia, sepsis, and colitis. The review evaluated study designs, breath collection methods, and diagnostic performance. Findings indicate that exhaled breath analysis, particularly using electronic noses or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, can identify disease-specific VOC profiles with reported sensitivities up to 98% and specificities up to 100% in individual studies. However, the overall evidence is limited by poor reporting of essential methodological details, significant heterogeneity across studies, and the use of invasive collection techniques like tracheal cannulation in most cases. The review highlights major confounding factors such as anesthetic use, diet, and circadian rhythm and provides guidelines to improve standardization, which is crucial for future research comparability and translation to human applications.
