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Exhaled Pentane May Be an Effective Breath Test for Cystic Fibrosis

anonymous

New member
So what about cfers with average or above average PFT? Do they also have significantly different pentane values from controls, but they're just lower on average than those of CFers with lower FEV1 values?
 

coltsfan715

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Exhaled pentane was significantly correlated with lung function as defined by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (r=-0.62, P <.005). Exhaled pentane was also correlated with nutritional status as defined by body mass index (BMI) Z-score (r=-0.49, P <.05), and with colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P <.001). </end quote></div>

You would think by that statement that higher lung function would change the values - maybe not drastically but it doesn't really describe how it would differ. Even though yes it has to do with the gases we exhale - apparently healthy people would exhale the same gases (just in different amounts) or they wouldn't have been able to compare CFers levels to "healthy" people.

I thought the same so if you are healthier person with CF - meaning higher lung function - or if you weigh more or don't culture Psuedo how different would the values be I wonder. Also what if there was a CFer with PFTs in the 90-100% range, healthy weight in accordance with BMI and not culturing Psuedo - though maybe a rare individual - I wonder how their pentane levels would correlate with the other subjects. I wonder also the range the PFTs were of the patients they did this with, whether they all cultured Psuedo or not and what the average weight was and all.

I think it is interesting definitely, but wonder how much it would vary is all. I thought as I read it MY GOSH my levels would probably be well above the other then because I have lower PFTs, am underweight and culture Psuedo lol. Just wanted to throw out the fact that I wondered the same thing as the annon.

Lindsey
 
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