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Fast and Accurate Exhaled Breath Ammonia Measurement
06:27

Fast and Accurate Exhaled Breath Ammonia Measurement

Published on: June 11, 2014

Breath condensate ammonium is lower in children with chronic asthma

G MacGregor1, S Ellis, J Andrews

  • 1Respiratory Medicine Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.

The European Respiratory Journal
|August 2, 2005
PubMed

Insights

In children, exhaled breath pH did not reflect asthma status or severity. However, ammonium levels in exhaled breath were lower in children with asthma compared to healthy controls.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Biomarkers in Respiratory Disease
  • Asthma Research

Background:

  • Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH and ammonium are established biomarkers for asthma in adults.
  • Their utility in assessing asthma status and severity in pediatric populations remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of EBC pH and ammonium as indicators of asthma and its severity in children.
  • To compare these biomarkers in children with stable asthma versus healthy controls and during acute exacerbations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 74 children with asthma and 47 healthy controls.
  • A longitudinal study assessing 8 children admitted with asthma exacerbation.
  • Comparison of EBC pH and ammonium with clinical parameters including lung function and symptom scores.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in median EBC pH between children with stable asthma (6.05) and controls (5.90).
  • Significantly lower median ammonium levels in children with asthma (258 microM) compared to controls (428 microM).
  • EBC pH and ammonium did not correlate with lung function or symptom-free days, nor did they change significantly during asthma exacerbations.

Conclusions:

  • EBC pH is not a reliable indicator of asthma or its severity in children.
  • Lower EBC ammonium levels may be associated with childhood asthma, but do not reflect disease severity or exacerbations.
  • Further research is needed to explore the role of EBC ammonium in pediatric asthma.

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