Transdermal Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide in Humans

Abstract

We have developed a novel approach to measure circulating hydrogen sulfide (H2S) non‐invasively as a potential way to diagnose and monitor endothelial dysfunction and peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a life‐threatening condition caused by arterial constriction and obstruction of blood flow leading to limb ischemia. Current methods to diagnose and monitor PAD lack sensitivity, are expensive, and technically difficult. Recent studies indicate that decreased H2S production is an underlying cause of PAD. Reduced plasma H2S also correlates with endothelial dysfunction in individuals with untreated hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, and other cardiovascular diseases. The Transdermal Gas Sensor (TAGS) device was designed to measure transdermal H2S to test the hypothesis that the diffusion rate (and therefore gas phase concentration) of H2S is directly proportional to dermal blood flow in individuals without endothelial disease. Healthy volunteers between the ages of 21–65 were recruited. Exclusion criteria included subjects currently treated for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Smokers and pregnant women were also excluded. We observed a linear association between TAGS readings and Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI), a gold standard measure of skin blood flow, when readings were adjusted for age in the model (r = 0.5717, p = 0.0132, n = 18). Therefore the TAGS device is not inferior to LSCI in measuring skin blood flow in healthy individuals using a non‐inferiority margin of 5 (p = 0.0394). The TAGS device has the potential, therefore, to serve as a more sensitive, economical, and easy to use diagnostic tool to use H2S detection as a predictor of dermal blood flow.Support or Funding InformationNSF: R41 NSF FP00000502. NHLBI: R41HL121871This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.