Increased inflammatory mediator in exhaled breath condensate from asthmatic children

Yoon Ki Han; Jun Young Park; Mi Na Kim; Yoon Hee Kim; Hyun Bin Park; Min Jung Kim; Kyung Eun Lee; Hee Seon Lee; Won Il Heo; Jeong Yeon Hong; Kyung Won Kim; Myung Hyun Sohn; Kyu-Earn Kim

doi:10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.332

Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.2(5) > 1059053

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Han, Park, Kim, Kim, Park, Kim, Lee, Lee, Heo, Hong, Kim, Sohn, and Kim: Increased inflammatory mediator in exhaled breath condensate from asthmatic children

Original Article

Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease 2014; 2(5): 332-336.

Published online: 28 November 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.332

Increased inflammatory mediator in exhaled breath condensate from asthmatic children

Yoon Ki Han, Jun Young Park, Mi Na Kim, Yoon Hee Kim, Hyun Bin Park, Min Jung Kim, Kyung Eun Lee, Hee Seon Lee, Won Il Heo, Jeong Yeon Hong, Kyung Won Kim, Myung Hyun Sohn, Kyu-Earn Kim

Department of Pediatrics, Severance Hospital, Institute of Allergy, Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to: Kyung Won Kim. Department of Pediatrics, Severance Hospital, Institute of Allergy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea. Tel: +82-2-2228-2050, Fax: +82-2-393-9118, kwkim@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Received 5 June 2014 Revised 30 August 2014 Accepted 2 September 2014

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Abstract

Purpose

There has recently been increasing interest in the use of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as a simple noninvasive means for understanding the physiology of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the EBC of asthmatic children.

Methods

We measured LTB₄ and ECP levels in EBC from children aged 6-14 years, including healthy children (n=25) and asthmatic children (n=25). We also measured serum LTB₄ and serum ECP. Pulmonary function tests and methacholine challenge tests were performed on all subjects.

Results

Exhaled LTB₄ levels were increased significantly in patients with asthma compared to normal subjects (7.1±3.7 pg/mL vs. 2.2±1.7 pg/mL, P<0.05). Serum LTB₄ levels were not significantly different in patients with asthma compared to normal subjects (674.7±484.1 pg/mL vs. 487.1±272.0 pg/mL, P=0.156,) and no significant correlations were found between exhaled and serum LTB₄ concentrations in children with asthma (r=0.052, P=0.758). Exhaled ECP levels were not significantly different in patients with asthma compared to normal subjects (P=0.419). Serum ECP levels were significantly increased in patients with asthma compared to normal subjects (44.37±32.14 µg/L vs. 16.40±13.23 µg/L, P=0.001).

Conclusion

We found significantly elevated LTB₄ levels in the EBC of asthmatic children. Our results suggest that EBC may be one of the supportive tools to measure airway inflammation in children with asthma.

Keywords: Asthma, Exhaled breath condensate, Leukotriene B₄, Eosinophil cationic protein

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

(A) Comparison of concentrations of leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) in exhaled breath condensate between asthma and control groups. LTB₄ in asthma group (mean±standard deviation [SD], 7.1±3.7 pg/mL) was significantly higher than control group (mean±SD, 2.2±1.7 pg/mL) (P=0.03). (B) Comparison of concentrations of serum LTB₄ between asthma and control groups. There was no significant difference between two groups (P=0.156).

Fig. 2

Correlations between the concentrations of leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and in serum. No significant correlations were shown between concentrations of LTB₄ in EBC and in serum (r=0.052, P=0.758).

Fig. 3

(A) Comparison of concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) between asthma and control groups. There was no significant difference between two groups (P=0.419). (B) Comparison of concentrations of serum ECP between asthma and control groups. Serum concentration of ECP in asthma group (mean±standard deviation [SD], 44.37±32.14 µg/L) was significantly higher than control group (mean±SD, 16.40±13.23 µg/L) (P=0.01).

Table 1

Clinical characteristics (n=50)

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC, forced vital capacity; FEF_25%-75%, forced mid expiratory flow.

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