BreathBr: Exploring the fingerprints of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as diagnostic biomarkers of lung infections in immunocompromised patients

• Grant number: 24/19960-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Epidemiology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Cristina Gales
• Grantee: Ebuka Elijah David
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10599-3 - The Antimicrobial Resistance Institute of São Paulo (The Aries Project), AP.CEPID

Abstract

A clinically significant issue for patients with impaired immune systems is lunginfections [1]. The culture of a lung fragment and/or direct imaging of the pathogen inthe lung biopsy fragment have been regarded as the gold standard techniques for manylung infections [2]. However, lung biopsies, whether done openly or trans-bronchially,are invasive procedures that are frequently not possible because of clinicalcontraindications including respiratory failure or thrombocytopenia [3]. Therefore, it iscritical to differentiate lung infections from other non-infectious pulmonary diseases,such as atelectasis or pulmonary thromboembolism, and to promptly and ideally usingnon-invasive, precise, and affordable technologies to identify the etiological agent.Finding biomarkers, like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), offers a lot of promisefor identifying the microorganism at play early on without requiring surgery,particularly in high-risk patients [4]. VOCs analysis is regarded as a quick, simple, andnon-invasive method. The idea behind VOCs detection is that microorganisms, such asbacteria and fungi, may be distinguished from one another by their distinctive odorprints or specific chemicals, which are similar to fingerprints. Therefore, the infectiousagent could be recognized by analysing the patterns of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) released by the lungs (exhaled air), urine, feces, sputum, and other secretions[5].Numerous research examining the precision of VOCs detection in the diagnosis ofinfectious disorders can be found in the literature such as in inflammatory bowel disease[6], gastrointestinal disease [7], urinary tract infections [8]. According to theseinvestigations, the VOCs profile can be used to diagnose these infections with goodsensitivity and specificity at a reasonable cost. Nevertheless, there are currently fewpublished data on the identification of these compounds in immunocompromisedindividuals. Hence, this study termed "BreathBr" aims at exploring the fingerprints ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs) as diagnostic biomarkers of lung infections inimmunocompromised patients in tertiary hospitals Sao Paulo, Brazil.