title: Exhaled breath condensate and airway inflammation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive method for evaluation of airway inflammation. This article reviews recent data concerning the ability of EBC markers to reflect alterations in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or environment and occupation-induced changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recovery of biomarkers in EBC is affected by physical characteristics of the condensing device and collecting circumstances as well as environmental conditions or exercise. The complexities of nitrogen oxide chemistry make assessment of nitric oxide metabolites in EBC and exhaled nitric oxide complementary. Analysing of EBC markers is valuable in asthma, as changes were reported irrespective of current anti-inflammatory treatment or atopic status as well as in monitoring cigarette smoking-related airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Hyperinflation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease might be a potential confounder for the level of inflammation markers in EBC. In general, patterns of markers are likely to more accurately reflect the complex pathophysiological processes and therefore should be evaluated rather than a single marker.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EBC might be of particular interest in preventive medicine as inflammatory processes triggered may precede changes in lung function. Robust and easy-to-handle condensing devices and analytical methods are warranted to spread the use of EBC.
authors.affiliation: BGFA, Research Institute of Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. hoffmeyer@bgfa.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoffmeyer
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf-Heimsoth
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001944:Breath Tests; D045853:Exhalation; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide