The glyceryl [14C]tripalmitate breath test: a reassessment.
Several reports have been published commending the use of 14C-labelled triglyceride breath tests in the assessment of fat malabsorption. We report further studies using gyceryl [14C]tripalmitate. Corrections for age, weight or metabolic rate failed to improve the test's ability to discriminate between malabsorbers and control subjects. A correction for respiratory quotient improved the linear correlation observed between the breath test results and daily faecal fat excretion. The significance of these findings is discussed and a number of problems identified which, at present, are preventing the introduction of breath tests for fat malabsorption into routine clinical practice.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol; D006801:Humans; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010168:Palmitates; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D012119:Respiration
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005223:Fats; D010168:Palmitates; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005990:Glycerol