Abstract
Measuring patterns of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath ('breathprint') is a novel non-invasive approach to study molecular signatures of disease.
Aim: to assess whether controlled and uncontrolled asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) can be identified according to their breathprint.
VOCs were measured in 33 asthmatic children who participated in the PACMAN2 study. All children were current users of ICS. Current asthma control was assessed using the Asthma Control Questionnaire. Long-term asthma control was based on reported symptoms in past year. The VOCs in the breath sample were analyzed offline on a panel of 4 eNoses with different sensor technologies. Breathprints were analysed per eNose using PCA. FeNO was measured with a NIOX Mino. ROC curves were used to assess the accuracy.
Two eNoses were able to discriminate current uncontrolled asthmatic children and controlled asthmatic children (AUC: 0.71-0.74). Three eNoses were able to identify long-term uncontrolled asthmatic children and long-term controlled asthmatic children (AUC: 0.81-0.97). A metal oxide sensor was most accurate. FeNO was a poor marker (AUC current control: 0.56, AUC long-term control: 0.61).
Conclusion: Breathprints can accurately assess asthma control in ICS treated children. In contrast, a single FeNO measurement cannot.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
