title: Ultrafine particle content in exhaled breath condensate in airways of asthmatic children.
abstract: Air pollution triggers and exacerbates airway inflammation. Particulate material (PM) in ambient is characterized as being coarse (PM 10, aerodynamic diameter range 2.5-10 µm), fine (PM 2.5, 2.5-0.1 µm) and ultrafine (UFP, nano-sized, <0.1 µm). It is known that smaller inhaled PM produced more inflammation than larger ones. Most data on human exposure to PM are based on environmental monitoring. We evaluated the effect of individual exposure to UFP on functional respiratory parameters and airway inflammation in 52 children aged 6-18 years referred to the Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases Laboratory due to respiratory symptoms. Spirometry, bronchial provocation challenge, induced sputum (IS), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and franctional exhaled nitric oxide evaluations were performed by conventional methods. UFP content in EBC was analyzed by using a NanoSight Light Microscope LM20. The total EBC UFP content correlated with wheezing (r = 0.28, p = 0.04), breath symptom score (r = 0.3, p = 0.03), and sputum eosinophilia (R = 0.64, p = 0.005). The percent of EBC particles in the nano-sized range also correlated with wheezing (r = 0.36, p = 0.007), breath symptom score (r = 0.33, p ≤ 0.02), and sputum eosinophilia (r = 0.72, p = 0.001). Respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation positively correlated to UFP content in EBC of symptomatic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6423906, Israel.
authors.forename: Shira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benor
authors.forename: Yfat
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alcalay
authors.forename: Keren Armoni
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Domany
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gut
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soferman
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kivity
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fireman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001944:Breath Tests; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D002648:Child; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry; D013183:Sputum / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D009569:Nitric Oxide