Anatomic and physiological derangements of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to abnormal overgrowth of the small intestine. A quantitative culture of an aspirate of small bowel fluid is used to detect bacterial overgrowth. This is often not performed because it is so inconvenient. The need for a reliable, non-invasive screening test for bacterial overgrowth has led to the development of breath tests using radioactive (14 C) substrates. A one gram (14)C-xylose breath has been extensively validated for the specific diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth. However, because the 14C-xylose breath test uses a small radioactive dose of xylose, its use in children and pregnant women or repeated use, demands development of a non-radioactive alternative test. It is proposed to develop a safe, non-radioactive, alternative to the (14)C-xylose test using instead the stable isotope (13)C. Stable isotopes such as (13)C emit no radiation and are naturally present in our body. The potential commercial application of this technological innovation is the development of a safe and accurate xylose breath test kit for the detection of small bowel bacterial overgrowth. The (13)C-xylose breath test kits will be easy to administer in any physician office and will be accurate for diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth.
