Journal of Crohn's & colitis
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Distinguishing between the inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD], Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC], is important for determining management and prognosis. Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry [SIFT-MS] may be used to analyse volatile organic compounds [VOCs] in exhaled breath: these may be altered in disease states, and distinguishing breath VOC profiles can be identified. The aim of this pilot study was to identify, quantify, and analyse VOCs present in the breath of IBD patients and controls, potentially providing insights into disease pathogenesis and complementing current diagnostic algorithms. ⋯ Exhaled breath VOC profiling was able to distinguish IBD patients from controls, as well as to separate UC from CD, using both multivariate and univariate statistical techniques.