title: (13)CO2 breath tests in non-invasive hepatological diagnosis.
abstract: In liver diagnostics, a simple, non-invasive test with high sensitivity and specificity is permanently being sought in order to assess the degree of liver damage. In addition to liver biopsy, algorithms using blood parameters or elastometry are used in clinical practice. However, these methods do not provide information about the true liver reserve, so the liver breath test seem to be a promising diagnostic tool. The basis of this test depends on the ability of particular hepatocyte enzyme systems to metabolise a tested substance labelled with a stable carbon isotope. The kinetics of (13)CO2 elimination with expiratory air then permits quantitative assessment of the functional liver reserve and the degree of organ damage. In this paper the most commonly used tests, grouped according to the main metabolic pathways, are described. The usefulness of liver breath tests in specific clinical situations, both as a diagnostic and prognostic tool, is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Biomedical Science, School of Pharmacy in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Musialik
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Biomedical Science, School of Pharmacy in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jonderko
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Biomedical Science, School of Pharmacy in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasicka-Jonderko
authors.affiliation: Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, Medical Research Council Technology, London, UK.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buschhaus
keywords: 13C; breath tests; isotope application in medicine; liver diseases diagnostics; stable isotopes