title: Detection of multiple sclerosis from exhaled breath using bilayers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and single-wall carbon nanotubes.
abstract: A cross-reactive array of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and single wall carbon nanotube bilayers was designed for the detection of volatile organic compounds (tentatively, hexanal and 5-methyl-undecane) that identify the presence of disease in the exhaled breath of patients with multiple sclerosis. The sensors showed excellent discrimination between hexanal, 5-methyl-undecane, and other confounding volatile organic compounds. Results obtained from a clinical study consisting of 51 volunteers showed that the sensors could discriminate between multiple sclerosis and healthy states from exhaled breath samples with 85.3% sensitivity, 70.6% specificity, and 80.4% accuracy. These results open new frontiers in the development of a fast, noninvasive, and inexpensive medical diagnostic tool for the detection and identification of multiple sclerosis. The results could serve also as a launching pad for the discrimination between different subphases or stages of multiple sclerosis as well as for the identification of multiple sclerosis patients who would respond well to immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ionescu
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Broza
authors.forename: Hila
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shaltieli
authors.forename: Dvir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadeh
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zilberman
authors.forename: Xinliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glass-Marmor
authors.forename: Izabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lejbkowicz
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müllen
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Hossam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haick
mesh_terms: D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D045853:Exhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons