Breath analysis: Potential for clinical diagnosis and exposure assessment

Breath tests are among the least invasive methods available for clinical diagnosis, disease state monitoring, and environmental exposure assessment. In recent years, interest in breath analysis for clinical purposes has increased. This review is intended to describe the potential applications of breath tests, including clinical diagnosis of diseases and monitoring of environmental pollutant exposure, with emphasis on oxidative stress, lung diseases, metabolic disorder, gastroenteric diseases, and some other applications. The application of breath tests in assessment of exposure to volatile organic compounds is also addressed. Finally, both the advantages and limitations of breath analysis are summarized and discussed. (c) 2006 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.