The Diagnostic Utility of Volatile Organic Compounds in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Volatile organic compounds [VOCs] show promise as potential biomarkers of for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, two chronic, idiopathic, gastrointestinal disorders with diagnostic and management challenges. Non-invasive biomarkers aid early diagnosis and management. In this study we review studies of diagnostic accuracy of VOCs in inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: A systematic search was carried out on the Pubmed and Scopus databases; with 16 studies reviewed and meta-analysis carried out on 10. Results: Meta-analysis of 696 inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] cases against 605 controls revealed a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 87% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 - 0.92) and 83% [95% CI, 0.73 - 0.90], respectively. Area under the curve [AUC] was 0.92. Conclusion: VOCs perform very well as non-invasive biomarkers of IBD, with much scope for future improvement and research.