title: Ethane and n-pentane in exhaled breath are biomarkers of exposure not effect.
abstract: The relationship of exhaled ethane and n-pentane to exhaled NO, carbonylated proteins, and indoor/outdoor atmospheric pollutants were examined in order to evaluate ethane and n-pentane as potential markers of airway inflammation and/or oxidative stress. Exhaled NO and carbonylated proteins were found to have no significant associations with either ethane (p = 0.96 and p = 0.81, respectively) or n-pentane (p = 0.44 and 0.28, respectively) when outliers were included. In the case where outliers were removed n-pentane was found to be inversely associated with carbonylated proteins. Exhaled hydrocarbons adjusted for indoor hydrocarbon concentrations were instead found to be positively associated with air pollutants (NO, NO(2) and CO), suggesting pollutant exposure is driving exhaled hydrocarbon concentrations. Given these findings, ethane and n-pentane do not appear to be markers of airway inflammation or oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. kgorham@uci.edu
authors.forename: Katrine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gorham
authors.forename: Mads P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sulbaek Andersen
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meinardi
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Delfino
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Staimer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tjoa
authors.forename: F Sherwood
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Blake
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D001944:Breath Tests; D004980:Ethane / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010420:Pentanes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010420:Pentanes; C033353:pentane; D004980:Ethane