Inflammatory Markers and Acid-Base Equilibrium in Exhaled Breath Condensate of Stable and Unstable Asthma Patients

• Published in: International archives of allergy and immunology Vol. 159; no. 2; pp. 121 - 129
• Main Authors: Tomasiak-Lozowska, Maria Magdalena, Zietkowski, Ziemowit, Przeslaw, Katarzyna, Tomasiak, Marian, Skiepko, Roman, Bodzenta-Lukaszyk, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.01.2012; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Acid-Base Equilibrium; Adult; Aged; Ammonia; Ammonia - metabolism; Asthma; Asthma - complications; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - metabolism; Asthma - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Eosinophil Cationic Protein - blood; Eosinophilia - blood; Eosinophilia - complications; Exhalation; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunopathology; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nitrates; Nitrates - metabolism; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitrites - metabolism; Original Paper; Oxidative stress; Pneumology; Respiratory Function Tests; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Young Adult; Oxidative stress; Nitrite/nitrate; Ammonia; pH levels; Exhaled breath condensate; Asthma; Human; Lung disease; Expired air; Immunopathology; Respiratory disease; Nitrites; Biological marker; Inflammation; Nitrates; Acid base balance; Immunology; pH; Bronchus disease; Instability; Obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 1018-2438; 1423-0097; 1423-0097
• DOI: 10.1159/000335674

Background: Nitrosative and acid stress play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether, in asthmatics, a link exists between the concentrations of nitrite/nitrate, ammonia and pH values in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and asthma severity, lung function, exhaled nitric oxide (F ENO ), total IgE, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and blood eosinophilia. Methods: The above-mentioned parameters were measured in 19 healthy volunteers and 91 allergic asthmatics divided into three groups, i.e. 22 subjects with steroid-naïve stable asthma, 35 with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-treated stable asthma and 34 with ICS-treated unstable asthma. Results: Compared with healthy subjects, EBC from asthmatics had significantly lower pH values and ammonia concentrations and significantly higher levels of nitrite/nitrate. The extent of these changes was higher in patients with unstable than in patients with steroid-naïve and stable ICS-treated asthma. The EBC pH was positively correlated with ammonia and negatively correlated with nitrite/nitrate, F ENO or blood eosinophilia in all three groups of asthmatics. Significant positive correlations between EBC nitrite/nitrate and blood eosinophilia, ECP levels or F ENO were observed in all groups of asthmatics. Significant negative correlations between EBC ammonia and nitrite/nitrate, F ENO , ECP concentrations or blood eosinophilia were demonstrated in the groups of ICS-naïve and ICS-treated stable asthmatics. Conclusions: In asthmatic patients there is a relationship between EBC pH, ammonia and nitrite/nitrate concentrations and other recognized markers of airway inflammation. EBC pH values, ammonia and nitrite/nitrate levels measured together may help to assess airway inflammatory status and asthma severity.