Goals of the Task Force:

Background: The reason why breath nitric oxide has received FDA approval is that breath nitric oxide data for one laboratory can now be compared to comparable data from another laboratory. This is due to the fact that there is an ATS/ERS standardized approach to collect breath for breath nitric oxide. Moreover, the ATS/ERS standardized approach allows the data collected from different subjects to be compared and contrasted quantitatively.

However, since breath VOCs have different chemical and physical properties (i.e., volatility, polarity, aqueous solubility, reactivity, dependence of exhalation on shunt or dead space ventilation, cardiac output, etc) standard methods have to be established for each compound/compound group or be formulated in a very general way so that it could be applicable to any breath VOC. Initially we plan to develop SOPs that are applicable to a maximum number of compounds.

The IABR has identified a task force to approach this problem and generate suggested sampling protocols for breath collection, normalization of results and background correction. In particular, appropriate internal standards will be developed and suggested.

Task 1:

Develop standard methods for breath sampling: There are three approaches to breath sampling: Collecting a single breath sample from awake human subject; collecting multiple breaths from awake human subjects; collecting breath from intubated human subjects. Define the mode of breath sampling (alveolar or mixed expired sampling). Define the mode of sampling control (CO2, temperature, flow, etc). Identify chemical and physical properties of the volatile substances that may interfere with sampling and storage. Develop protocols for sample preparation for both offline and online methods.

Task 2:

Develop methods for background correction for both offline and online methods. Define precisely the requirements and limitations of these methods.

Task 3:

Developing methods to standardize breath analysis based upon normalization to internal standards for offline and online methods. Definition of the kind of internal standardization (ISTD for the analytical method, the sampling process or dependence of exhalation on physiological parameters)

Task 4:

Assess the potential of developed breath tests for clinical utility.

This task force will be headed by Jochen Schubert, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Nandor Marczin, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Margaret O’Hara, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), and Terence Risby, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and the developed suggestions will be shared with the ATS and ERS.

The following researchers have kindly agreed to be active members of the task force: Anton Amann ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), David Smith ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Patrik Spanel ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Leigh Greenham ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Wolfram Miekish ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Makoto Sawano ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Veronika Ruzsanyi ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Raed A. Dweik, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), C. L. Paul Thomas ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Albert Donnay ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Fabio Di Francesco ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Tianshu Wang This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it