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Published on: February 14, 2019

Exhaled breath condensate pH in infants and children with acute and recurrent wheezy bronchitis

Christian Vogelberg1, Christiane Würfel, Anja Knoetzsch

  • 1Children's University Hospital, Technical University of Dresden, Germany. christian.vogelberg@uniklinikum-dresden.de

Pediatric Pulmonology
|October 27, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analysis in children shows lower pH in wheezy bronchitis patients, indicating potential for airway inflammation monitoring. This method is feasible in young children, though further research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Airway inflammation assessment in infants and young children is challenging.
  • Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) analysis offers a non-invasive method for monitoring respiratory conditions.
  • Limited data exist on EBC sampling methodologies and findings in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the feasibility of EBC sampling in infants and young children.
  • To assess EBC pH levels in children with acute and recurrent wheezy bronchitis compared to healthy controls.
  • To investigate factors influencing EBC pH, such as age, inhaled steroid treatment, and allergy status.

Main Methods:

  • EBC was collected from 18 children with acute wheezy bronchitis, 54 with recurrent wheezy bronchitis, and 32 healthy controls using a modified commercial sampler.
  • EBC pH was measured after deaeration.
  • Statistical analyses were performed to correlate EBC volume with age and compare pH levels between groups.

Main Results:

  • EBC volume showed a significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.56, P < 0.001).
  • EBC pH was significantly lower in both acute (7.87) and recurrent (7.86) wheezy bronchitis patients compared to healthy controls (8.04) (P = 0.003 and P = 0.002, respectively).
  • Steroid-naive recurrent wheezers and those with or without positive allergy tests exhibited significantly lower EBC pH compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions:

  • Modified EBC sampling is feasible in infants and young children.
  • Decreased EBC pH may serve as an indicator of airway inflammation in pediatric wheezy conditions.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical significance of EBC pH variations in this age group.

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