title: Differences in IL-8 in serum and exhaled breath condensate from patients with exacerbated COPD or asthma attacks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive method that can be used to monitor the inflammatory status of patients with chronic airway diseases. We aimed to study differences in cytokine expression between patients with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and patients with asthma attacks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a custom-made device and methods based on American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) recommendations, EBC samples were collected from nine COPD patients, 12 asthma patients and 10 healthy individuals. Cytokine concentrations in serum and EBC were measured via commercial ELISA kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of four cytokines measured in EBC [interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-17, IL-4 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)], only IL-8 was significantly higher in COPD than in asthma patients (5.27 ± 0.18 vs. 4.36 ± 0.34 pg/mL, p = 0.001). Moreover, COPD patients had higher serum IL-8 than asthma patients (10.57 ± 0.55 vs. 5.15 ± 0.24 pg/mL, p < 0.001). No significant correlation between serum and EBC cytokine concentrations was observed in each subgroup of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with patients with asthma attacks, patients with exacerbated COPD had increased IL-8 expression in both serum and EBC. These results suggest that IL-8 may be more important in airway and systemic inflammation in COPD exacerbations than in asthma attacks.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and Cheng Ching Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsu-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Min-Chi
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and Cheng Ching Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Chin
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jeng-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: mingshiou.jan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ming-Shiou
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: chchen1@dragon.nchu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chuan-Mu
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001944:Breath Tests; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8
keywords: asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cytokines