Premium
Breath hydrogen and methane in populations at different risk for colon cancer
Author(s) -
Marchand Loïc Le,
Wilkens Lynne R.,
Harwood Patricia,
Cooney Robert V.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910550603
Subject(s) - colorectal cancer , excretion , medicine , cancer , methane , population , hydrogen , breath test , gastroenterology , physiology , biology , chemistry , environmental health , ecology , organic chemistry , helicobacter pylori
Abstract Results from laboratory and clinical studies have suggested that fermentation in the large bowel may play a protective role against colon cancer. Hydrogen and methane are end‐products of colonic fermentation that are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via expired air in the breath. Thus, breath levels of hydrogen and methane have been used as markers for this process. Breath levels of these gases were compared among 10 ethnic and sex groups that exhibit marked differences for colon cancer risk in Hawaii. Four end‐expiratory breath samples were used to characterize daily excretion of hydrogen and methane in a population‐based sample of 244 men and women. There was no significant difference in breath hydrogen or methane by sex or age. Hawaiians produced significantly more hydrogen than Filipinos, and Hawaiians and Caucasians more methane than the 3 Asian groups. These differences did not correlate with risk of colon cancer among these ethnic populations.