Assessment of exhaled breath condensate ph in asthmatic children

ABSTRACT

Assessment of the Exhaled breath condensate [EBC] constituents has proven to be useful and non invasive method for monitoring airway changes. On the other hand, active airway inflammation was postulated to change the pH of the airway lining fluid. This work was conducted to study EBC pH in children with bronchial asthma compared to other airway inflammatory markers in those children. Methods: Thirty asthmatic children were recruited for this study while attending the Chest Clinic of Paediatric Hospital -Ain Shams University-Cairo, Egypt. Their ages ranged between 5-16y with mean value of [8.93 +/- 4.14 years]. Age and sex matched 10 normal children were selected as controls. All the children were subjected to history taking, thorough clinical examination, spirometric pulmonary function testing [for FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75%], collection of EBC was done to assess its pH and induction of sputum to determine differential cell counts. Our results showed that the mean values of EBC pH were significantly lower in asthmatic group when compared to controls with cut off value = 7.35 [specificity=70%, sensitivity= 89%]. The mean values of EBC pH showed significant positive correlations with pulmonary function measured parameters - FEV1, FVC, and FEF25-75%- [p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.05 respectively] and significant negative correlations with sputum cell counts; total leucocytic counts, oesinophilic counts and neutrophilic counts [p<0.05]. Exhaled Breath condensate [EBC] pH is a simple, inexpensive and non invasive promising tool to evaluate pediatric asthma