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1554606 
Journal Article 
Exhaled Breath Condensate: A Promising Source for Biomarkers of Lung Disease 
Liang, Yan; Yeligar, SM; Brown, L 
2012 
1 
The Scientific World Journal
ISSN: 2356-6140
EISSN: 1537-744X 
WOS:000312849800001 
Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been increasingly
studied as a noninvasive research method for sampling the alveolar and airway space and is
recognized as a promising source of biomarkers of lung diseases. Substances measured in EBC
include oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators, such as arachidonic acid derivatives,
reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, reduced and oxidized glutathione, and inflammatory cytokines.
Although EBC has great potential as a source of biomarkers in many lung diseases, the low
concentrations of compounds within the EBC present challenges in sample collection and analysis.
Although EBC is viewed as a noninvasive method for sampling airway lining fluid (ALF), validation
is necessary to confirm that EBC truly represents the ALF. Likewise, a dilution factor for the
EBC is needed in order to compare across subjects and determine changes in the ALF. The aims of
this paper are to address the characteristics of EBC; strategies to standardize EBC sample
collection and review available analytical techniques for EBC analysis.