Cedars-Sinai Study Validates Common Diagnostic Tool for Bacterial Overgrowth in Gut
Levels of Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide Gases in Breath Test Correlate With Microorganism Levels in Small Intestine
Levels of methane and hydrogen sulfide gases detected in a new three-gas breath test used to diagnose intestinal microbial overgrowth in the gut correlate with levels of specific microorganisms in the small intestine that produce these gases, according to a new study by Cedars-Sinai investigators.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, provides key validation of the breath test.
Gastrointestinal diseases affect tens of millions of Americans and nearly 1 billion people worldwide. Pinpointing the source of the gut gases in same-day testing of patients could have applications to a wide range of digestive diseases, according to study investigators. Methane is associated with constipation and hydrogen sulfide with less constipation.
“Identifying the relevant microorganisms, their precise gut locations and their relationship to symptoms is critical,” said Mark Pimentel, MD, executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai and corresponding author of the study. “This information opens up important opportunities to develop new therapies for bloating, diarrhea and constipation.”
Other Cedars-Sinai authors include: Maria Jesus Villanueva-Millan, PhD, Gabriela Leite, PhD, Ruchi Mathur, MD, Ali Rezaie, MD, MSc, Cristina Moreno Fajardo, MS, Juliana de Freitas Germano, PhD, Walter Morales, BS, Maritza Sanchez, BS, Ignacio Rivera, Gonzalo Parodi, BS, Stacy Weitsman, MS, Mohamad Rashid, MBChB, Ava Hosseini, MPH, Daniel Brimberry, PhD, and Gillian M. Barlow, PhD.
Acknowledgments: The authors thank the REIMAGINE Study Group for their assistance in obtaining samples. The REIMAGINE Study Group includes: Christopher Almario MD, Benjamin Basseri MD, Yin Chan MD, Bianca Chang MD, Derek Cheng MD, Pedram Enayati MD, Srinivas Gaddam MD, Laith Jamil MD, Quin Liu MD, Simon Lo MD, Marc Makhani MD, Deena Midani MD, Mazen Noureddin MD, Kenneth Park MD, Shirley Paski MD, Nipaporn Pichetshote MD, Shervin Rabizadeh MD, Soraya Ross MD, Omid Shaye MD, Rabindra Watson MD, Ali Rezaie MD, and Mark Pimentel MD.
Funding: This study was funded in part by funds from the Scott Gray Foundation, Justine Stamen Arrillaga & John Arrillaga, Arrillaga Foundation, the Steve Perry Foundation, the Eli Gottesdiener Foundation, the Nima Taghavi Foundation, the DiCecco Family Foundation, and the National Philanthropic Trust.
Competing interests: M.P. is a consultant for Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., Salvo Health, Dieta Health, Cylinder Health Inc., and Vivante Health Inc. M.P. has received grant support from Bausch Health and Synthetic Biologics. R.M. has received grant support from Bausch Health. A.R. is a consultant/speaker for and has received grant support from Bausch Health. Cedars-Sinai has a licensing agreement with Gemelli Biotech and Hobbs Medical. A.R., M.P., and R.M. have equity in Gemelli Biotech and Good LFE. M. P. has equity in Cylinder Health and Salvo Health. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest.
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