Review: Analysis of exhaled breath condensate in respiratory medicine: methodological aspects and potential clinical applications
- 1 October 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease
- Vol. 1 (1), 5-23
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1753465807082373
Abstract
Analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive method for studying the composition of airway lining fluid and has the potential for assessing lung inflammation. EBC is mainly formed by water vapor, but also contains aerosol particles in which several biomolecules including leukotrienes, 8-isoprostane, prostaglandins, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide-derived products, and hydrogen ions, have been detected in healthy subjects. Inflammatory mediators in EBC are detected in healthy subjects and some of them are elevated in patients with different lung diseases. Analysis of EBC is completely noninvasive, is particularly suitable for longitudinal studies, and is potentially useful for assessing the response to pharmacological therapy. Identification of selective profiles of biomarkers of lung diseases might also have a diagnostic value. However, EBC analysis currently has important limitations. The lack of standardized procedures for EBC analysis and validation of some analytical techniques makes it difficult comparison of results from different laboratories. Analysis of EBC is currently more useful for relative measures than for quantitative assessment of inflammatory mediators. Reference analytical techniques are required to provide definitive evidence for the presence of some inflammatory mediators in EBC and for their accurate quantitative assessment in this biological fluid. Several methodological issues need to be addressed before EBC analysis can be considered for clinical applications. However, further research in this area is warranted due to the relative lack of noninvasive methods for assessing lung inflammation.Keywords
This publication has 100 references indexed in Scilit:
- Proton Pump Inhibitor Improves Breath Marker in Moderate Asthma with Gastroesophageal Reflux DiseaseRespiration, 2007
- Effects of a leukotriene receptor antagonist on exhaled leukotriene E4 and prostanoids in children with asthmaJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2006
- Comparison of two methods for exhaled breath condensate collectionAllergy, 2006
- Inflammatory cells in the airways in COPDThorax, 2006
- Cytokines in exhaled breath condensate of children with asthma and cystic fibrosisAnnals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2006
- Exhaled breath condensate cysteinyl leukotrienes are increased in children with exercise-induced bronchoconstrictionJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2005
- Pseudomonas aeruginosaandBurkholderia cepaciacannot be detected by PCR in the breath condensate of patients with cystic fibrosisPediatric Pulmonology, 2003
- Increased leukotriene B4 and 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate of patients with exacerbations of COPDThorax, 2003
- A comparison of exhaled nitric oxide and induced sputum as markers of airway inflammationJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2000
- Hydrogen peroxide in expired breath condensate of patients with acute respiratory failure and with ARDSIntensive Care Medicine, 1993