GC-MS reveals biomarker for CF Ps aeruginosa infections

A potential breath biomarker for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections - associated with the diminished lung functionality of cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferers - has been identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Writing in BMC Pulmonary Medicine, researchers from the University of Otago, Leipzig University and Canterbury District Health Board in Christchurch, New Zealand, describe their use of GC-MS to investigate whether 2-aminoacetophenone (2-AA) is specific to Ps aeruginosa conditions.

They explain that 2-AA, a microbial volatile organic compound, is known to be responsible for the grape-like odour that accompanies Ps aeruginosa in CF patients.

Using a breath test to detect its presence, they found sensitivity of 93.8 per cent and specificity of 69.2 per cent when comparing a group of CF participants with a control population.

"Our results report 2-AA as a promising breath biomarker for the detection of Ps aeruginosa infections in the CF lung," they conclude.

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