Breath Test for Assessing Small Intestinal Health

Metabolic Solutions has obtained the exclusive North American license to the ¹³C Sucrose Breath Test (SBT) for assessing the health and function of the small intestine. Serious health ramifications can result if the functional area of the brush border is significantly reduced by damage caused by infection, surgical trauma, disease, antibiotics, use of certain drugs, and chemotherapy treatments.

Principle of the Sucrose Breath Test

The ¹³C-SBT utilizes a naturally enriched sucrose solution that is broken down by intestinal sucrase located in the brush border. The resultant formation of glucose and fructose are metabolized in the liver to ¹³CO₂. Sucrase activity can be assessed by measuring the appearance of ¹³CO₂ in breath over 90 minutes. If sucrase activity is diminished, the epithelial cells of the villi are damaged. Repair of the villi can also be monitored following treatment (example probiotics).

Sucrose Breath Test Kits Available

Metabolic Solutions provides a simple, all-inclusive SBT administration kit to conduct the breath test. Each kit includes a pre-measured packet of sucrose, four breath collection tubes, straw for breath collections, and a pre-addressed, pre-paid mailer for mailing breath specimens to our laboratory for analysis. We analyze the breath specimens by isotope ratio mass spectrometry the same day that we receive the samples. A report of the 90 minute cumulative percent ¹³CO₂ is used to determine sucrase activity for determination of intestinal health.

Sucrose Breath Test Applications

• Monitoring intestinal damage due to chronic diarrhea, HIV, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel disease, and chemotherapy
• Effect of probiotics on intestinal function and health
• Long-term NSAID Damage
• Atrophy of the small intestine due to total parenteral nutrition
• Post-operative research/effect of trauma
• Pharmaceutical new product development

For more information, please read our white paper on the Sucrose Breath Test.