Common Cold Influences Exhaled Volatile Organic Compound Profile Analyzed By An Electronic Nose

Background: Electronic noses (e-noses) are a cheap and easy method for exhaled Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)-analysis which has shown its potential in several diseases. Before obtaining a full validation of these instruments in clinical settings, a number of methodological issues still have to be established. AIM OF THE STUDY. To assess whether exhaled VOC-profile was different in the same group subjects during and after a common cold. Methods: We examined 10 normal subjects with acute symptoms of a common cold and after recovery 2 weeks later. Exhaled breath was collected by a previously validated method and analyzed by an e-nose (Cyranose 320). Results: By Principal Component Analysis, significant variations of the exhaled VOC-profile were shown for Principal Component 1 and 2 during cold compared to those after cold (for all parameters p<0.05). Subsequent Linear Discriminant analysis confirmed the above findings. Conclusions: Exhaled VOC-profile is different during a common cold. Therefore, symptomatic upper respiratory tract infection may act as a confounder in studies with exhaled breath analyzed by e-noses.