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6996691 
Journal Article 
Blood Ketone Bodies and Breath Acetone Analysis and Their Correlations in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 
Saasa, V; Beukes, M; Lemmer, Y; Mwakikunga, B 
2019 
1 
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
EISSN: 2075-4418 
9 
4 
English 
31861135 
WOS:000506637600096 
Analysis of volatile organic compounds in the breath for disease detection and monitoring has gained momentum and clinical significance due to its rapid test results and non-invasiveness, especially for diabetes mellitus (DM). Studies have suggested that breath gases, including acetone, may be related to simultaneous blood glucose (BG) and blood ketone levels in adults with types 2 and 1 diabetes. Detecting altered concentrations of ketones in the breath, blood and urine may be crucial for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus. This study assesses the efficacy of a simple breath test as a non-invasive means of diabetes monitoring in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Human breath samples were collected in Tedlar™ bags and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). The measurements were compared with capillary BG and blood ketone levels (β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate) taken at the same time on a single visit to a routine hospital clinic in 30 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 28 control volunteers. Ketone bodies of diabetic subjects showed a significant increase when compared to the control subjects; however, the ketone levels were was controlled in both diabetic and non-diabetic volunteers. Worthy of note, a statistically significant relationship was found between breath acetone and blood acetoacetate (R = 0.89) and between breath acetone and β-hydroxybutyrate (R = 0.82). 
diabetes mellitus; ketone bodies; human breath; acetone; beta-hydroxybutyrate; acetoacetate; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)