Exhaled breath analysis in interstitial lung disease.

Purpose of review: There is a need for better noninvasive tools to diagnose interstitial lung disease (ILD) and predict disease course. Volatile organic compounds present in exhaled breath contain valuable information on a person's health and may be a novel biomarker in ILD. In this review, we will give an overview of the basic principles of breath analysis, summarize the available evidence in ILD, and discuss future perspectives.

Recent findings: An increasing number of studies on exhaled breath analysis were performed over the last decade in patients with ILD, using two methods for exhaled breath analysis: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electronic nose technology. Most studies showed high accuracy for diagnosis of ILD, but study design and methods widely varied. Studies investigating the potential of electronic nose technology to predict treatment response and disease behavior are ongoing.

Summary: The majority of studies using exhaled breath analysis in ILD show promising results for diagnostic purposes, but validation studies are lacking. Larger prospective longitudinal studies using standardized methods are needed to collect the evidence required for developing an approved diagnostic medical test.