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Occupational asthma follow-up — which markers are elevated in exhaled breath condensate and plasma?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

Abstract

Objectives

To search for optimal markers in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC), plasma and urine that would reflect the activity/severity of occupational asthma (OA) after the withdrawal from the exposure to the allergen.

Material and Methods

Markers of oxidative stress: 8-iso-prostaglandin {ie206-1} (8-isoprostane, 8-ISO), malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenale (HNE), cysteinyl leukotrienes (LT) and LTB4 were determined using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in 43 subjects with immunological OA (49.3±11.8 years), removed from the exposure to the sensitizing agent 10.5±6.5 years ago; and in 20 healthy subjects (49.0±14.9 years). EBC was harvested both before and after the methacholine challenge test. In parallel, identical markers were collected in plasma and urine. The results were analyzed together with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), blood eosinophils, immunoglobulin E (IgE) and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and statistically evaluated (Spearman rank correlation rS, two- or one-sample t tests and alternatively Kruskal Wallis or pair Wilcoxon tests).

Results

Several parameters of lung functions were lower in the patients (FEV1% predicted, MEF25% and MEF50%, Rtot%, p < 0.001). Shorter time interval since the removal from the allergen exposure correlated with higher ECP (rS = 0.375) and lower FEV1%, MEF25% and MEF50% after methacholine challenge (rS = −0.404, −0.425 and −0.532, respectively). In the patients, IgE (p < 0.001) and ECP (p = 0.009) was increased compared to controls. In EBC, 8-ISO and cysteinyl LTs were elevated in the asthmatics initially and after the challenge. Initial 8-ISO in plasma correlated negatively with FEV1 (rS = −0.409) and with methacholine PD20 (rS = −0.474). 8-ISO in plasma after the challenge correlated with IgE (rS = 0.396).

Conclusions

The improvement in OA is very slow and objective impairments persist years after removal from the exposure. Cysteinyl LTs and 8-ISO in EBC and 8-ISO in plasma might enrich the spectrum of useful objective tests for the follow-up of OA.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Medicine of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

    Daniela Pelclová, Zdenka Fenclová, Štěpánka Vlčková, Pavlína Klusáčková, Jindřiška Lebedová & Sergey Zakharov

  2. Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

    Kamila Syslová & Petr Kačer

  3. Institute of Biophysics and Informatics of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

    Jaromír Běláček

  4. Institute of Microbiology of the AS CR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic

    Marek Kuzma

  5. Department of Biophysical Chemistry, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the AS CR, v. v. i., Prague, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Navrátil

  6. Department of Occupational Medicine of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Na Bojišti 1, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic

    Daniela Pelclová

Authors
  1. Daniela Pelclová
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  2. Zdenka Fenclová
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  3. Štěpánka Vlčková
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  4. Pavlína Klusáčková
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  5. Jindřiška Lebedová
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  6. Kamila Syslová
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  7. Jaromír Běláček
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  8. Marek Kuzma
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  10. Sergey Zakharov
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  11. Petr Kačer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Pelclová.

Additional information

Study support was provided by the Research Project of the Charles University in Prague P28/LF/6 and EU Project “Material-technical Research Base for the Diagnostics and Treatment of Environmentally-caused and Oncological Disorders and their Risks, in the General University Hospital in Prague” (reg. No. CZ.2.16/3.1.00/24012) from OP Prague Competitiveness. Manager of project: Jan Malík, Professor, MD, PhD.

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Pelclová, D., Fenclová, Z., Vlčková, Š. et al. Occupational asthma follow-up — which markers are elevated in exhaled breath condensate and plasma?. IJOMEH 27, 206–215 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13382-014-0243-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13382-014-0243-2

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