Volatile organic compounds in plasma for the diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A noninvasive screening test that can detect esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) at an earlier stage could improve the prognosis associated with EAC. The role of plasma volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the diagnosis of EAC has not been previously studied. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from subjects with EAC and GERD before endoscopy. Twenty-two preselected VOCs were analyzed with selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The headspaces from 39 plasma samples (20 EAC, 19 GERD) were analyzed. The levels of 9 VOCs (acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, carbon disulfide, isoprene, 1-heptene, 3-methylhexane, [E]-2-nonene, hydrogen sulfide, and triethylamine) were significantly altered in EAC patients compared with GERD patients. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to build a model for the prediction of EAC. The model identified patients with EAC with an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma VOCs may be useful in diagnosing EAC. Larger studies are needed to confirm our pilot study observations.