title: Exhaled breath condensate biomarkers in asbestos-related lung disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asbestos induces generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in laboratory studies. Several such species can be measured non-invasively in humans in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) but few have been evaluated. This study aimed to assess oxidative stress and lung inflammation in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty six men were studied: sixty subjects with asbestos-related disorders (asbestosis: 18, diffuse pleural thickening (DPT): 16, pleural plaques (PPs): 26) and twenty six age- and gender-matched normal individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with asbestosis had raised EBC markers of oxidative stress compared with normal controls [8-isoprostane (geometric mean (95% CI) 0.51 (0.17-1.51) vs 0.07 (0.04-0.13) ng/ml, p<0.01); hydrogen peroxide (13.68 (8.63-21.68) vs 5.89 (3.99-8.69) microM, p<0.05), as well as increased EBC total protein (17.27 (10.57-28.23) vs 7.62 (5.13-11.34) microg/ml, p<0.05), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (mean+/-SD) (9.67+/-3.26 vs 7.57+/-1.89ppb; p<0.05). EBC pH was lower in subjects with asbestosis compared with subjects with DPT (7.26+/-0.31 vs 7.53+/-0.24; p<0.05). There were no significant differences in exhaled carbon monoxide, EBC total nitrogen oxides and 3-nitrotyrosine between any of the asbestos-related disorders, or between these and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In asbestos-related disorders, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress are significantly elevated in subjects with asbestosis compared with healthy individuals but not in pleural diseases.
authors.affiliation: Research and Education Unit, Workers' Compensation (Dust Diseases) Board of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sharron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandrini
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yates
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001194:Asbestos; C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D015237:Dinoprost