13C-labeled mixed triglyceride breath test (13C MTG-BT) in healthy children and children with cystic fibrosis (CF) under pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT): A pilot study

The MTG-BT estimates the hydrolysis of triacyl-glycerols by pancreatic lipase, and appears attractive for monitoring exogenous lipase requirements in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. To assess the test's discrimination capacity and repeatability. 9 CF patients with PERT and healthy children underwent the (13)C-MTG-BT twice, at a 2- to 4-week interval. The test distinguished well between patients with severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (SEPI) and healthy subjects. However, within-subject variability for postprandial parts per thousand (13)C-enrichment and postprandial % dose recovery (PDR) was high in both groups. Therefore, the (13)C-MTG-BT seems useful to distinguish between SEPI and normal exocrine pancreatic function. but requires further development to improve its repeatability. Crown Copyright (c) 2008 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.