Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
Breath Collection from Children for Disease Biomarker Discovery
Published on: February 14, 2019
Biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate: a review of collection, processing and analysis
N M Grob1, M Aytekin, R A Dweik
1Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine/Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Pathobiology/Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Abstract:
Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a potential rich source for countless biomarkers that can provide valuable information about respiratory as well as systemic diseases. EBC has been studied in a variety of diseases including allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Although numerous biomarkers have been discovered and studied in EBC, the methods of collection and biomarker detection have not been fully standardized. While leaving standardization methods up to individual labs for the present time is optimal for the continued discovery of new biomarkers in EBC, this decreases the reproducibility and generalizability of the findings. In this review we will discuss specific biomarkers studied in specific diseases as well as some of the related technical issues including collection, processing and analysis.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Assessment of Diffusion and Perfusion
The Role of Diffusion in Respiration
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In the respiratory system, this principle...
01:30Serum Laboratory Studies, Stool Test, Breath Test