Breath condensate pH in children with cystic fibrosis and asthma: a new noninvasive marker of airway inflammation?
OBJECTIVE
The noninvasive assessment and monitoring of airway inflammation could be important in respiratory disease. The pH of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a promising marker. Although pH has been measured in the EBC of adults with inflammatory airway diseases, no study has measured this in children.


METHODS
This study aimed to assess whether there is a change in pH in the EBC of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and asthma, and to try to determine whether pH could be used as a marker of airway inflammation. Furthermore, the relationships among EBC pH, severity of disease, and oxidative stress were studied.


METHODS
We studied 20 children with CF (mean [+/- SEM] age, 7 +/- 3 years), 20 children with asthma (mean age, 7 +/- 2 years), and 15 age-matched healthy children (mean age, 7 +/- 2 years). The pH of EBC was measured using a pH meter.


RESULTS
Lower pH values were observed in the EBC of children with CF and asthma compared to control subjects (mean pH, 7.23 +/- 0.03 and 7.42 +/- 0.01 vs 7.85 +/- 0.02, respectively). Furthermore, relationships among EBC pH, severity of asthma, and the presence of an infective exacerbation of CF was found. There was a negative correlation between exhaled pH and exhaled leukotriene B(4) concentrations (r = -0.5; p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the measurement of EBC pH may be useful in the evaluation of airway inflammation in children with asthma and CF.
Carpagnano
Giovanna E
GE
Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK.
Barnes
Peter J
PJ
Francis
Jackie
J
Wilson
Nicola
N
Bush
Andrew
A
Kharitonov
Sergei A
SA
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis*; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007975:Leukotriene B4