Profiling exhaled breath of smokers using mass spectrometry to identify a signature related to tobacco use for diagnostic perspectives
Chiara Veronese Francesco Segrado Riccardo Caldarella Roberto Boffi Rosaria Orlandi
Abstract
Breath analysis for the identification of volatile organic compounds by mass spectrometry is a very innovative and non-invasive technology, which represents a great opportunity for an early and personalised diagnosis. In this pilot study we recruited a series of volunteers, smokers and non-smokers, characterized from the respiratory point of view, and profiled their exhaled breath through SESI- HRMS technology. The aim of the study is to identify a volatile molecular signature associated with tobacco use. The supervised analysis highlighted 32 features that discriminate the breath of smokers and non-smoker subjects, at the baseline. We therefore identified a volatile molecular signature closely related to tobacco smoke, which will be characterized in subsequent studies
Keywords: tobacco smoke, COPD, mass spectrometry, breath analysis