Noninvasive Test Detects Pulmonary Tuberculosis

A new breath test can detect active pulmonary tuberculosis by patterns of distinctive volatile organic compouds.

Safe, painless, and noninvasive, the test only requires a patient to breathe gently for two minutes into a portable breath collection apparatus (BCA), which can collect samples virtually anywhere.

The Mycobacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that cause pulmonary TB generate a very distinctive pattern of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when grown in the laboratory. The breath test detects the VOCs manufactured by M. tuberculosis in the breath of infected patients, and is a promising new method for detecting active infection with pulmonary TB.

A study of 226 patients was performed in San Diego (CA, USA), London (UK), and the Philippines. "The breath test was 85% accurate in detecting patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis,” said Dr. Michael Phillips, developer of the breath test and CEO of Menssana Research, Inc. (Fort Lee, NJ, USA). He added, "The breath test detects a signal from Mycobacteria in the lungs, which is why it's probably a better test than skin tests or a blood test for tuberculosis that measure the body's immune response to infection.”

Menssana Research will evaluate a new point-of-care breath test for pulmonary tuberculosis in Africa, Great Britain, and the Philippines. If successful, the test will enable patients to learn within minutes whether they are infected with tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a major cause of death, especially in developing countries. Physicians often have difficulty diagnosing the disease because current tests such as a chest X-ray or sputum culture are expensive and frequently generate false-positive or false-negative results.

Menssana Research is developing breath tests for several other diseases, including lung cancer, breast cancer, and ischemic heart disease. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver Springs, MD, USA) previously approved the company's Heartsbreath test for heart transplant rejection.

Related Links:
Menssana Research, Inc
US Food and Drug Administration