Abstract
Tools for evaluation which can objectively indicate severity of disease are necessary for a proper diagnosis and treatment of asthma. Especially in children with asthma or wheezing, proper method with non invasiveness, safety and specificity is required. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is expected as a safe, comparatively handy, non-invasive method for airway inflammation evaluation. The analysis results of various oxidative-stress markers and eicosanoids, etc. have been reported. We also showed that exhaled LTE4 levels were increased in all children with mild asthma compared with non-asthmatic controls, and that the EBC LTE4 levels negatively correlated with methacholine PC15. Clinical application will expand, if the sample collection efficacy and handiness can be improved.
