The measurement of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been proposed as a noninvasive way of monitoring airway inflammation. However, results from individual studies on EBC H(2)O(2) evaluation of asthma are conflicting. The purpose of this study was to explore whether EBC H(2)O(2) is elevated in asthmatics, and whether it reflects disease severity, control or responds to corticosteroid treatment.
METHODS: Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database, CINAHL andwww.controlled-trials.com for relevant reports published before September 2010. Observational studies comparing levels of EBC H(2)O(2) between non-smoking asthmatics and healthy subjects were included. Data were independently extracted by two investigators and analyzed using STATA 10.0 software.
RESULTS: Eight studies (involving 728 participants) were included. EBC H(2)O(2) concentrations were significantly higher in non-smoking asthmatic patients compared to healthy subjects and higher values of EBC H(2)O(2) were observed at each level of asthma classified either by severity or control level and the values were negatively correlated with FEV(1). In addition, EBC H(2)O(2) concentrations were lower in corticosteroid-treated asthmatics than in patients not treated with corticosteroids.
CONCLUSIONS: H(2)O(2) might be a promising biomarker for guiding asthma management; however, further investigation is needed to establish its role.
Authors: Teng Y, Sun P, Zhang J, Yu R, Bai J, Yao X, Huang M, Adcock IM, Barnes PJ
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