title: Volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath in a healthy population: effect of tobacco smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco smoke is a source of free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are the main causes of oxidative stress. The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in exhaled breath is an indirect method of measuring the level of oxidative stress that occurs in the airways caused by tobacco consumption. The aim of this study was to determine whether smoking influences the production of VOC, in a clinically healthy population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exhaled breath from 89 healthy volunteers, divided into three groups (non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers) was analysed. Samples were collected using Bio-VOC® devices and transferred to universal desorption tubes. Chemical compounds were analysed by thermal desorption, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We analysed hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, nonanoic acid and propanoic acid, all identified by retention time and mass spectra referenced in the NIST 08 mass spectral library; confirmation was carried out using reference standards of the pure chemical compound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  These VOC were found in very low concentrations. Only nonanal showed significant quantitative and qualitative statistical differences among the study groups. Nonanal concentration is dependent on smoking, but is independent of the amount of tobacco consumed, age and gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonanal in exhaled breath is associated with tobacco consumption, current or previous. Nonanal is a sub-product of the destruction of the cell membrane, and its finding may be indicative of cell damage in smokers. This result appears in many farmers who smoke.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Central de la Defensa-Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España. Electronic address: jjjarenoesteban@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: José Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jareño-Esteban
authors.forename: M Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Lucas
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Aranda
authors.forename: José Ángel
authors.initials: JÁ
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Sanz
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Granda-Orive
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Ros
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Civera-Tejuca
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Ortega
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Callol-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D012906:Smoke; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C008664:nonanal
keywords: Compuestos orgánicos volátiles; Estrés oxidativo; Oxidative stress; Tabaquismo; Tobacco smoking; Volatile organic compounds