[New nondispersive infrared spectrometry in 13C-urea breath tests].
OBJECTIVE
13C-urea breath tests have become clinical routine in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. For the analysis of the 13CO2/12CO2 enrichment in breath, less expensive alternatives to the expensive mass spectrometry (IRMS) have been developed, based on isotope-selective infrared spectroscopy (NDIRS). In this prospective study we tested under clinical conditions a simplified and thus less expensive NDIR-spectrometer by comparing it with mass spectroscopy.


METHODS
100 patients (53 men, 47 women, mean age 59+/-14 years) with dyspeptic symptoms were tested for Helicobacter pylori infection using the 13C-urea breath test. The isotope ratio analysis of the breath samples was performed in duplicate, both using IRMS and NDIRS.


RESULTS
The results of the baseline-corrected 13CO2 -exhalation values between IRMS and NDIRS were in excellent agreement. The mean difference between both methods was 0.05+/-1.16 . Evaluating the qualitative urea breath test results in reference to IRMS as the reference, the NDIRS had a sensitivity of 95 % and a specificity of 99 %.


CONCLUSIONS
This newly developed isotope-selective nondispersive infrared spectroscopy is going to become a reliable, and low-cost alternative to expensive isotope ratio mass spectrometry in the analysis of 13C-breath tests. All these characteristics make NDIRS particularly suitable for laboratories where the daily number of assays is small or for use in the doctor's office
Hartmann
D
D
Medizinische Klinik C, Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie, Diabetologie, Klinikum der Stadt Ludwigshafen gGmbH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein.
Schilling
D
D
Riemann
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D014508:Urea
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D014508:Urea