The result of collaboration between Israeli and German scientists has become a simple method of diagnosing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that glial brain cells begin to attack oligodendrocytes form the myelin sheath of neurons of the brain, without which violated conduct electrical impulses along nerve cells.
The disease can cause a variety of factors - from genetics to ecology. So far, there are three methods of diagnosing multiple sclerosis - the characteristic symptoms (slurred speech, muscle cramps and problems with coordination), MRI or lumbar puncture. All three have significant drawbacks.
In the first case, the symptoms coincide with a number of other neurological diseases, the second problem may be the high cost of the procedure, and the last package is invasive, time consuming and very painful method of diagnosis. Scientists Israel Institute of Technology with the help of colleagues from Germany developed a simple and convenient method of diagnosing multiple sclerosis. It is based on an analysis of the patient's breathing, because the human patient with multiple sclerosis, in the exhaled air contains volatile components, such as 5-methyl-undecane, geksanaldegid other.
The technique has been tested on 51 volunteers, 34 of whom were patients with multiple sclerosis. The result of the test method is shown to be effective, it identifies patients with a sensitivity of 85 percent and 80 percent accuracy, that is, showed the effectiveness of lumbar puncture.
Also it can be used to determine the stage of disease, and, as such a diagnosis allows to distinguish between the relative content of "sclerotic" components in the exhaled air, the proportion of which varies in the course of the disease. If clinical trials are successful, the technique will be implemented universally to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases.
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