Poster Audio: Targeted Breath Biopsy Profiling of Induced Biomarkers Unveils a Metabolic Adaptation in Cirrhosis

Individuals with chronic liver disease exhibit elevated ethanol levels post carbohydrate intake, yet data on the liver’s alcohol-handling capacity is sparse. In our study, exhaled breath analysis was employed to investigate the alcohol-ketone and ketone-alcohol conversion, aiming to discern metabolic changes and identify cirrhosis through a non-invasive breath test. This study aimed to establish the utility of exhaled breath analysis in evaluating metabolic alterations and detecting cirrhosis, addressing a current gap in clinical understanding regarding liver function and metabolism in liver disease using different exogenous volatile organic compounds (EVOCs) as probes.

This study found that 2-butanol and 2-pentanone are metabolized to corresponding ketone and alcohol in primary hepatocytes, supporting previous findings on hepatic metabolism. Breath profile alterations of the investigated EVOCs allow for the discrimination of subjects with cirrhosis from controls after biomarker induction.

We recently presented this work at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) conference, and you can view our presentation below. If you are interested in finding out more, or meeting us at a conference, please get in touch.