RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Changes in exhaled breath condensate pH following specific inhalation challenge in patients with occupational asthma to persulfate salts
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p3328
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Xavier Muñoz
A1 Sara Sánchez-Vidaurre
A1 Meritxell Espuga
A1 María-Dolores Untoria
A1 Ferran Morell
A1 María-Jesús Cruz
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3328.abstract
AB Introduction: Exposure to persulfate salts in hairdressing professionals is one of the most common causes of occupational asthma (OA) in our setting. pH measurement in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has proven to be a useful, noninvasive method for monitoring pulmonary inflammation. This study investigates possible changes in EBC pH in patients with OA to persulfate salts following specific inhalation challenge (SIC) testing.Material and methods: The study population included 13 patients with OA caused by exposure to persulfate salts, diagnosed by a positive SIC (Group 1) and 25 patients exposed to persulfates, but with a negative SIC (Group 2). EBC samples were collected before and after SIC was performed. pH was determined in all samples following degasification with helium.Result: The mean (SD) EBC pH values before and after SIC were 7.65 (0.63) and 7.32 (0.85), respectively, in Group 1, and 7.73 (0.68) and 7.88 (0.66) in Group 2. There were no significant differences in the pH values between the 2 groups. However, when a decrease in EBC pH greater than 0.4 units following SIC was established as significant, 6 patients in Group 1 (43%) and only 1 patient in Group 2 (4%) exceeded this value.Conclusions: Persulfate salts can induce an inflammatory response in patients with OA. A larger percentage of SIC-positive patients showed a significant EBC pH decrease following the test. This fact could contribute to improving the diagnostic yield of SBC.This study was funded by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS PI050100) and SEPAR.