Breath analysis reliably indicates presence, level of infection in mice, UCI study finds

Noninvasive method could enable rapid diagnosis in humans without need for blood tests

2013-08-01

(Press-News.org) Irvine, Calif., July 31, 2013 — Breath analysis may prove to be an accurate, noninvasive way to quickly determine the severity of bacterial and other infections, according to a UC Irvine study appearing online today in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Employing a chemical analysis method developed for air pollution testing, UC Irvine microbiologists and chemists were able to correlate inflammation levels in laboratory mice to the amount of naturally produced carbon monoxide and other gases in breath samples.

The findings point to human applications of this technology in emergency rooms and intensive care units, potentially augmenting or replacing blood tests.

"Breath analysis has been showing promise as a diagnostic tool in a number of chronic diseases," said Dr. Alan Barbour, professor of microbiology & molecular genetics and medicine. "This study provides the first evidence … that it can be used for rapid clinical assessment of infections, which can lead to prompt institution of effective treatments."

Barbour collaborated with UC Irvine chemist Donald Blake, utilizing a gas analysis method devised for the Rowland-Blake lab's atmospheric chemistry research, which measures the level of trace gases that contribute to local and regional air pollution. It's one of the few research groups in the world recognized for its ability to gauge precisely at the parts-per-trillion level. Previous breath sampling work by the Rowland-Blake lab has involved diabetes, cystic fibrosis and kidney failure.

Barbour believed that breath analysis could additionally be used on infections, which elicit strong inflammatory responses in the body. Several compounds, or "biomarkers," are by-products of these responses. They can be identified in blood but also detected in exhaled breath.

Studying mice with bacterial blood infections, the researchers found that increases in the severity of infection elicited significantly higher amounts of carbon monoxide in relation to carbon dioxide in breath samples, making carbon monoxide a reliable biomarker for the presence and intensity of infection. Importantly, the carbon monoxide returned to normal levels soon after an antibiotic was given.

"Using a breath analysis method like this could help physicians in the emergency room and ICU make critical decisions about serious infections more quickly than if they had to wait for blood tests to come back from the lab," Barbour said.

He and Blake will next expand their research to human breath samples. Their diagnostic method is currently under patent review.

### Charlotte Hirsch, Arash Ghalyanchi Langeroudi, Simone Meinardi, Eric Lewis and Azadeh Shojaee Estabragh of UC Irvine also contributed to the study, which was funded by a National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases grant to the Pacific Southwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense & Emerging Infectious Diseases (AI-065359).

To access the paper on the PLOS ONE website, go to http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069802

About the University of California, Irvine: Located in coastal Orange County, near a thriving high-tech hub in one of the nation's safest cities, UC Irvine was founded in 1965. One of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, it's ranked first among U.S. universities under 50 years old by the London-based Times Higher Education. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $4.3 billion annually to the local economy.

News Radio: UC Irvine maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.

Contact: Tom Vasich
949-824-6455
tmvasich@uci.edu

UCI maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit http://www.today.uci.edu/experts.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photo available at http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/breath-analysis-reliably-indicates-presence-level-of-infection-uci-study-finds/

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New target identified for food allergy therapy

2013-08-01

DENVER - Researchers at National Jewish Health have identified an enzyme that is essential to the allergic reaction to peanuts. Blocking the enzyme's activity in sensitized mice prevented diarrhea and inflammation, and reduced levels of several proteins associated with allergies. The findings, published online in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, identify the enzyme, known as Cyp11a1, as a potential target for treatment of increasingly common and potentially deadly food allergy. "Right now, we have no therapy for food allergy other than to avoid the allergenic ...

Promising compound could offer new treatment for heart failure

2013-08-01

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It's a very common condition, affecting about six million people in the United States, but current therapies are not adequately effective at improving health and preventing deaths. A study published by Cell Press August 1st in the journal Cell reveals the key role of a family of molecules known as bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins in activating genes that contribute to heart failure. The study also demonstrates that a BET-inhibiting drug can protect against heart failure ...

Trouble waking up? Camping could set your clock straight

2013-08-01

If you have trouble going to sleep at night and waking up for work or school in the morning, a week of camping in the great outdoors might be just what you need. That's according to evidence reported on August 1 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, showing that humans' internal biological clocks will tightly synchronize to a natural, midsummer light-dark cycle, if only they are given the chance. A week of exposure to true dawn and dusk with nights lit only by a campfire's glow had the biggest effect on people who might otherwise describe themselves as night owls. ...

JCI early table of contents for Aug. 1, 2013

2013-08-01

Prolactin reduces arthritis inflammation Inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are the result of cartilage damage and loss. Chondrocytes are the only cells that are found in cartilage and their death is linked to decreased cartilage health. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Carmen Clapp and colleagues at the National University of Mexico identify prolactin as a potential treatment for inflammatory joint disease. Prolactin treatment prevented chondrocyte death and associated cartilage degradation. In a rat model of inflammatory ...

Prolactin reduces arthritis inflammation

2013-08-01

Inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are the result of cartilage damage and loss. Chondrocytes are the only cells that are found in cartilage and their death is linked to decreased cartilage health. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Carmen Clapp and colleagues at the National University of Mexico identify prolactin as a potential treatment for inflammatory joint disease. Prolactin treatment prevented chondrocyte death and associated cartilage degradation. In a rat model of inflammatory arthritis, prolactin treatment reduced inflammation, ...

Identification of a molecule linking bone loss and bone formation

2013-08-01

Bone integrity requires skeletal remodeling, which involves both bone formation and resorption. It has been previously shown that the formation of new bone is triggered by degradation of older bone. However, it is unknown how these two processes coordinate for skeletal maintenance. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sunao Takeshita and colleagues at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology identify a protein, CTHRC1 that is secreted by bone adsorbing cells (osteoclasts) and helps initiate bone formation. The authors found that CTHRC1 secretion ...

Defense against bacterial infection in chronic granulomatous disease

2013-08-01

Patients suffering from chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) are prone to recurrent and potentially life threatening bouts of infection due to the inability of phagocytic cells to kill invading microorganisms. Normal phagocytes release reactive oxygen compounds in response to infection, but this defense is lacking in phagocytes of people with CGD. In the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Griffin Rodgers and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health identify a neutrophil granule protein, OLFM4 as a potential therapeutic target for CGD patients. ...

We each live in our own little world -- smellwise

2013-08-01

There are some smells we all find revolting. But toward a handful of odors, different people display different sensitivities—some can smell them, while some can't, or some find them appealing, while others don't. A pair of studies appearing online on August 1 in the journal Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, now identifies the genetic differences that underpin the differences in smell sensitivity and perception in different individuals. The researchers tested nearly 200 people for their sensitivity for ten different chemical compounds that are commonly found in ...

Neuroscientists find protein linked to cognitive deficits in Angelman syndrome

2013-08-01

A team of neuroscientists has identified a protein in laboratory mice linked to impairments similar to those afflicted with Angelman syndrome (AS)—a condition associated with symptoms that include autism, intellectual disability, and motor abnormalities. The findings appear in the journal Cell Reports. "By isolating a protein that contributes to cognitive deficits in Angelman syndrome, these findings mark a step forward in not only addressing AS, but perhaps other developmental disorders as well," said Eric Klann, a professor in New York University's Center for Neural ...

Boning up: McMaster researchers find home of best stem cells for bone marrow transplants

2013-08-01

Hamilton, ON (August 1, 2013) –McMaster University researchers have revealed the location of human blood stem cells that may improve bone marrow transplants. The best stem cells are at the ends of the bone. It is hoped this discovery will lead to lowering the amount of bone marrow needed for a donation while increasing regeneration and lessening rejection in the recipient patients, says principal investigator Mick Bhatia, professor and scientific director of the McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute. In a paper published online today by the journal Cell ...

Breath analysis reliably indicates presence, level of infection in mice, UCI study finds

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: