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Lipids and cardiovascular/metabolic health

13C mixed triglyceride breath testing using infrared spectrometry: comparison of two devices in early infancy

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 70, pages 959–962 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The 13C mixed triglyceride (MTG) breath test has been proposed for the non-invasive assessment of fat digestion and absorption. To evaluate whether reference values for the adequacy of fat absorption, set in the non-dispersive infrared spectrometry (NDIRS) system software proposed for healthy children and adults using the 13C MTG breath test, are also applicable to infants of <5 months of age.

Subjects/Methods:

13C MTG breath testing with the NDIRS technique was performed in 54 healthy infants <5 months of age (38 breast-fed, 16 formula-fed) and six infants diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) using two NDIRS devices, IRIS and FANci2.

Results:

The IRIS results were slightly higher compared with those assessed by the FANci2 device. The minimum cutoff value for pancreatic sufficiency (PS) is set as a cumulative percentage dose of 13C recovered (cPDR) after 5 h of 13.0%. Pancreatic function status of six CF infants, three with PS and three with pancreatic insufficiency (PI), according to the 72 h-faecal fat balance test could be correctly determined with the 13C MTG breath test using two NDIRS techniques. However, if these reference values had been used to determine pancreatic function status in healthy infants, 26 out of 54 infants would have been misclassified as pancreatic insufficient.

Conclusions:

Although the 13C MTG breath test with the MS technique has the potential to be a suitable assessment of fat absorption in infants, the technique of NDIRS appears too insensitive in an infant population group.

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Acknowledgements

This research project was supported by grants from the James Fairfax Institute of Paediatric Nutrition and the Johno Johnston Scholarship (DSK), at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia. We also like to express our sincere gratitude to all participating mothers and their infants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. James Fairfax Institute of Paediatric Nutrition, University of Sydney, and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, Sydney, 2145, NSW, Australia

    D S Kent, C Blumenthal & K J Gaskin

  2. IEL-Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Bonn, DONALD Study at the Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Dortmund, Germany

    T Remer

  3. Storr Liver Unit and Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Westmead Hospital, Hawkesbury Rd, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia

    C Blumenthal

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  1. D S Kent
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Correspondence to D S Kent.

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Kent, D., Remer, T., Blumenthal, C. et al. 13C mixed triglyceride breath testing using infrared spectrometry: comparison of two devices in early infancy. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 959–962 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.228

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