Abstract
We studied the variability and reliability ofbreath hydrogen and methane as well as the alterationsin intestinal gas profile in response to lactuloseingestion in 13 asymptomatic male patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Seventeen healthy subjectsserved as controls. The prevalence of methane producerswas 33% in DM and 45% among control subjects (P NS). Theprevalence of nonhydrogen producers was 7.7% and 5.9%, respectively. The coefficient forinterday variation of H was 72.6 ± 9.8% in DM and49.7 ± 9.8% in controls (P < 0.05). 2Similarly, the coefficient for interday variation ofCH4 was 94.3 ± 18.8 and 69.4 ±16.8% respectively (P = NS). The reproducibility ofbasal H2 and CH4 among diabeticsas assessed by r1 (measure of reliability)was poorer among diabetics when breath analysis wasperformed on different days (P < 0.001). There was no significantdifference between diabetics and controls with respectto basal or peak or area under the curve forH2 and CH4 in response tolactulose. We conclude that there is poor reproducibility of fasting breath gas levelsamong asymptomatic male subjects with diabetes. Inaddition, DM is not associated with alterations inhydrogen- or methane-producing potential.
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Minocha, A., Rashid, S. Reliability and Reproducibility of Breath Hydrogen and Methane in Male Diabetic Subjects. Dig Dis Sci 42, 672–676 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018832117482
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018832117482