|
KMID : 1188320080020030180
|
|
Gut and Liver
2008 Volume.2 No. 3 p.180 ~ p.185
|
|
|
Unreliability of Breath Methane as a Candidate Indicator of Functional Bowel Disorders
|
|
Jonderko Krzysztof
Gavriel-Jasniok Agata
Szymszal Malgorzata
Kasicka-Jonderko Anna
Blonska-Fajfrowska Barbara
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the reproducibility of methane and hydrogen in exhaled air breath after a per-oral load of lactulose.
Methods: Methane was present in the exhaled breath of 21 of 50 healthy subjects recruited by advertisement. Three methane breath tests were performed in 12 women (aged 23.6±0.5 years, mean±SEM) after they consumed 10 g of lactulose dissolved in 300 ml of water. Short- and medium-term reproducibilities were assessed by paired examinations taken 3 and 17 days (median) apart, respectively.
Results: High values of coefficients of variation for paired examinations (CVp) indicated a poor short-term reproducibility of parameters characterizing either the methane or hydrogen excretion in breath air: CVp values of the maximum net increments over baseline in methane (max CH4_net), and in hydrogen (max H2_net), were 34% and 41%, respectively. Moreover, the reproducibility consistently deteriorated with increasing time gap between repeat measurements (CVp: 60% for max CH4_net and 64% for max H2_net).
Conclusions: The low reproducibility of parameters characterizing quantitative methane breath excretion suggests that caution is necessary when judging the clinical usefulness of the methane breath test after a per-oral lactulose load for the purpose of diagnosing and classifying functional bowel disorders. (Gut and Liver 2008;2:180-185)
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Breath tests, Hydrogen, Lactulose, Methane, Reproducibility
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
   
|