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Breath Collection from Children for Disease Biomarker Discovery
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Breath Collection from Children for Disease Biomarker Discovery

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Safety and success of exhaled breath condensate collection in asthma

E Baraldi1, L Ghiro, V Piovan

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Unit of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, University of Padua, Italy. eugi@pediatria.unipd.it

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|March 26, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a safe and well-tolerated procedure for assessing airway inflammation in children, even those with asthma exacerbations. The study demonstrated a 100% success rate in children aged 4 and above.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is an emerging tool for non-invasively assessing airway inflammation.
  • EBC analysis allows for the detection of volatile and non-volatile substances indicative of lower airway conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the EBC procedure in pediatric patients with asthma.
  • To assess the EBC procedure's impact on lung function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) in children with asthma.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 18 healthy children and 91 children with asthma (aged 4-17 years).
  • Children underwent the EBC procedure without pre-treatment with beta2 agonists.
  • Outcomes included procedure completion, changes in FEV1 and FE(NO), and adverse events.

Main Results:

  • The EBC procedure was successfully completed by all participants, yielding a 100% success rate in children aged 4 and above.
  • A median fall of -1% in FEV1 was observed in asthmatic children, comparable to healthy controls, with only one child experiencing a drop exceeding 12%.
  • No significant changes in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) were detected post-procedure.

Conclusions:

  • Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a simple, safe, and well-tolerated method for collecting biological samples from the lower airways in children.
  • The EBC procedure is feasible and safe for children with asthma, including those experiencing exacerbations.
  • EBC offers a valuable, non-invasive approach for evaluating airway inflammation in pediatric populations.
Abstract

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