¹³C-Methacetin Breath Test (MBT) Methodology Study
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
1969-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Several factors will be tested to see if they have an influence on the methacetin breath test
results. Each one of the factors has been raised as a possible source of distortion of the
MBT result.
I. Variability between same tests on same subject MBT. Repeatability will be tested in both
healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease.
II. COPD - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and
can potentially have an effect on the MBT since the breath test is based on CO2 production
and these subjects may have abnormal CO2 production.
III. Smoking- 13C Methacetin is metabolized by healthy hepatocytes reflecting hepatic
microsomal function of CYP1A2, and smoking may cause induction of CYP1A2. Furthermore,
internal preliminary data has shown signs that there is an influence of smoking on the MBT
ranges.
IV. Age- Empirical data on several hundred subjects with chronic liver disease has shown that
age is a significant factor in determining the probability of disease severity and
preliminary data in normal subjects have shown changes in MBT with age.. Therefore, the
effect of age has to be elucidated in an orderly fashion.
V. CYP450 1A2 Inhibitors- Several drugs and food items inhibit CYP450 1A2 and may affect the
MBT.
VI. Alcohol - Alcohol ingestion leads to induction of hepatic CYP and at a later stage to
inhibition due to liver damage. Acute alcohol ingestion may therefore effect MBT results.
VII. Beta-blockers - beta blocker are affecting portal hypertension and may affect hepatic
blood flow and thereby the outcome of the methacetin breath test.