Analysis of exhaled breath can help detect gastrointestinal diseases: Research

Analysis of the water vapour in the exhaled breath may soon be used to detect various gastrointestinal diseases, including the Helicobacter pylori, a common bacterial infection that causes sores and ulcers and may even lead to gastric cancer.

Researchers from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, under the department of science, have found in the exhaled breath,new biomarkers for bacterial infection, and have developed a patented device to detect H.pylori.

Water has four naturally occurring isotopes (variants of an element with different number of neutrons) with different masses. The team was able to quantify the triple isotope signature of water in the exhaled breath, depending on the water consumed by the person. They found that deuterium-rich semi-heavy water is a bio-marker for the H. Pylori infection.

The scientists also found that an improper absorption of water -- learnt through changes in the composition of the triple isotopes -- can be indicative of various gastric malfunctions.

The study was conducted by Dr Manik Pradhan and his team with Dr Sujit Chaudhuri, gastroenterologist at AMRI Hospital, Kolkata, to demonstrate that the isotopic signatures of unusual water absorption in the gastrointestinal tract can trace the onset of various abnormalities. The study was published in journal Analytical Chemistry.