Abstract
Background: The close follow up of lung transplant patients is essential in the recognition of both early and late complications, however today these can be confirmed only by invasive techniques. Analysis of exhaled breath might be promising, as various studies showed relationship between breath components and the development of BOS in lung transplant recipients. Electronic nose is able to analyse the molecular pattern of breath (breathprint), and it discriminated different lung diseases successfully, however lung transplant patients were not studied yet.
Aim: To investigate the relationship between breathprint and various clinical parameters in lung transplant recipients.
Methods: Sixteen patients following lung transplantation participated in our study (mean age 39±14). The study had a model (N=25 samples) and a validation part (N=35 samples). Hence, in average 3.7±2.5 samples per patient were analysed. During their scheduled follow up at the outpatient clinic exhaled breath collection for E-nose measurement (Cyranose 320) as well as blood test and lung function was performed. Breathprints were analysed using principal component analysis and the relationship between breathprint and clinical parameters was assessed by linear regression.
Results: A significant relationship was detected between the breathprint and MEF50 as well as between breath pattern and tacrolimus plasma levels (p<0.05) which was confirmed by the validation set.
Conclusions: The analysis of exhaled breath can be useful in the follow-up of lower airway obstruction in lung transplant recipients. The relation with the drug level draws attention to the interfering effect of treatment and to the possibility of monitoring drug level by exhaled breath testing.
- © 2011 ERS
