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Exhaled particles as markers of small airway inflammation in subjects with asthma
Author(s) -
Larsson Per,
Lärstad Mona,
Bake Björn,
Hammar Oscar,
Bredberg Anna,
Almstrand AnnCharlotte,
Mirgorodskaya Ekaterina,
Olin AnnaCarin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/cpf.12323
Subject(s) - medicine , inhalation , respiratory tract , exhalation , asthma , exhaled air , respiratory system , small airways , immunology , allergy , surfactant protein a , exhaled breath condensate , inflammation , lung , anesthesia , biology , toxicology
Summary Exhaled breath contains suspended particles of respiratory tract lining fluid from the small airways. The particles are formed when closed airways open during inhalation. We have developed a method called Particles in Exhaled air ( PE xA ® ) to measure and sample these particles in the exhaled aerosol. Here, we use the PE xA ® method to study the effects of birch pollen exposure on the small airways of individuals with asthma and birch pollen allergy. We hypothesized that birch pollen‐induced inflammation could change the concentrations of surfactant protein A and albumin in the respiratory tract lining fluid of the small airways and influence the amount of exhaled particles. The amount of exhaled particles was reduced after birch pollen exposure in subjects with asthma and birch pollen allergy, but no significant effect on the concentrations of surfactant protein A and albumin in exhaled particles was found. The reduction in the number of exhaled particles may be due to inflammation in the small airways, which would reduce their diameter and potentially reduce the number of small airways that open and close during inhalation and exhalation.