Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38277384›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Volatile organic compounds in headspace characterize isolated bacterial strains independent of growth medium or antibiotic sensitivity.

Kim F H Hintzen, Lionel Blanchet, Agnieszka Smolinska, Marie-Louise Boumans, Ellen E Stobberingh, Jan W Dallinga, Tim Lubbers, Frederik-Jan van Schooten, Agnes W Boots

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. AI-Powered Microscopic Diagnostic Techniques forJournal of dentistry (Shiraz, Iran) · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Kim F H HintzenDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-4039-5639
Lionel BlanchetDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Agnieszka SmolinskaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Marie-Louise BoumansNUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Ellen E StobberinghNUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jan W DallingaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Tim LubbersDepartment of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Frederik-Jan van SchootenDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Agnes W BootsDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maastricht University · NLMaastricht University Medical Centre · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionEarly and reliable determination of bacterial strain specificity and antibiotic resistance is critical to improve sepsis treatment. Previous research demonstrated the potential of headspace analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to differentiate between various microorganisms associated with pulmonary infections in vitro. This study evaluates whether VOC analysis can also discriminate antibiotic sensitive from resistant bacterial strains when cultured on varying growth media.

methodsBoth antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia were cultured on 4 different growth media, i.e. Brain Heart Infusion, Marine Broth, Müller-Hinton and Trypticase Soy Agar. After overnight incubation at 37°C, the headspace air of the cultures was collected on stainless steel desorption tubes and analyzed by gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-tof-MS). Statistical analysis was performed using regularized multivariate analysis of variance and cross validation.

resultsThe three bacterial species could be correctly recognized based on the differential presence of 14 VOCs (p<0.001). This discrimination was not influenced by the different growth media. Interestingly, a clear discrimination could be made between the antibiotic-resistant and -sensitive variant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p<0.001) based on their species-specific VOC signature.

conclusionThis study demonstrates that isolated microorganisms, including antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, could be identified based on their excreted VOCs independent of the applied growth media. These findings suggest that the discriminating volatiles are associated with the microorganisms themselves rather than with their growth medium. This study exemplifies the potential of VOC analysis as diagnostic tool in medical microbiology. However, validation of our results in appropriate in vivo models is critical to improve translation of breath analysis to clinical applications.

Indexed as

Pseudomonas InfectionsVolatile Organic CompoundsAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacteriaCulture MediaHumansPseudomonas aeruginosaStaphylococcus aureusAnti-Bacterial AgentsCulture MediaVolatile Organic Compounds

Identifiers

PMID38277384
PMCPMC10817157
OpenAlexW4391250694

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.