The identification of hypoxia biomarkers from exhaled breath under normobaric conditions.
Pilots have reported experiencing in-flight hypoxic-like symptoms since the inception of high-altitude aviation. As a result, the need to monitor pilots, in-flight, for the onset of hypoxic conditions is of great interest to the aviation community. We propose that exhaled breath is an appropriate non-invasive medium for monitoring pilot hypoxic risk through volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis. To identify changes in the exhaled breath VOCs produced during periods of reduced O2 levels, volunteers were exposed to simulated flight profiles, i.e. sea level for 5 min, O2 levels found at elevated altitudes for 5 min or placebo and 5 min at 100% O2 recovery gas, using a modified flight mask interfaced with a reduced O2 breathing device. During the course of these test events, time series breath samples from the flight mask and pre/post bag samples were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Seven compounds (pentanal, 4-butyrolactone, 2-pentanone, 2-hexanone, 2-cyclopenten-1-one, 3-methylheptane and 2-heptanone) were found to significantly change in response to hypoxic conditions. Additionally, the isoprene, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, was found to increase following the overall exposure profile. This study establishes an experimental means for monitoring changes in VOCs in response to hypoxic conditions, a computational workflow for compound analysis via the Metabolite Differentiation and Discovery Lab and MatLab(©) software and identifies potential volatile organic compound biomarkers of hypoxia exposure.
UES Inc., Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing/RHXBC, 2510 Fifth Street, Area B, Building 840, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA. Authors contributed equally to this work.
Sean W
SW
Harshman
Brian A
BA
Geier
Maomian
M
Fan
Sage
S
Rinehardt
Brandy S
BS
Watts
Leslie A
LA
Drummond
George
G
Preti
Jeffrey B
JB
Phillips
Darrin K
DK
Ott
Claude C
CC
Grigsby
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis; D045853:Exhalation; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D045782:Hemiterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D055442:Metabolome; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010420:Pentanes / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D002070:Butadienes; D045782:Hemiterpenes; D010420:Pentanes; C005059:isoprene; D010100:Oxygen