Feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of an electronic nose in children with asthma and cystic fibrosis

J Breath Res. 2019 May 8;13(3):036009. doi: 10.1088/1752-7163/aae158.

Abstract

The measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath is a promising tool for diagnosing and monitoring various lung diseases in children. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis is a frequently used standard technique for VOCs analysis. However, as GC-MS is an expensive and time-consuming technique, hand-held devices or electronic noses have been developed. Recently, the Aeonose was introduced as an easy-to-use hand-held eNose capable of point-of-care testing. Although first results using this eNose in adults are promising, studies in children are lacking. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study in 55 children and adolescents ≥6 years of age (20 children with moderate to severe asthma, 13 children with CF, and 22 healthy controls). The feasibility of the Aeonose was high (>98% successful measurements). The diagnostic accuracy was high for discriminating asthma from CF (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve [AUC] 0.90 [95% Confidence Interval 0.78-1.00] sensitivity 89% [65%-98%], specificity 77% [46%-94%]), and for the distinction between CF and healthy controls (AUC 0.87 [0.74-1.00], sensitivity 85% [54%-97%], specificity 77% [54%-91%]). However, the diagnostic accuracy for the discrimination between asthma and healthy controls was modest (AUC 0.79 [0.63-0.94], sensitivity 74% [49%-90%], specificity 91% [69%-98%]). This is the first study to report test results of the Aeonose in children and adolescents ≥6 years. This eNose showed a high feasibility with modest to good diagnostic accuracies in asthma and CF. This study was registered at clinicaltrial.gov (NCT03377686).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Asthma / diagnosis*
  • Breath Tests / methods
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cystic Fibrosis / diagnosis*
  • Electronic Nose*
  • Exhalation
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • ROC Curve
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / analysis

Substances

  • Volatile Organic Compounds

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03377686