Targeted metabolomic analysis of exhaled breath condensate before and after bronchial provocation by eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation in adolescents with asthma: an exploratory study.

Authors

Cláudio Gonçalves de Albuquerque, José Ângelo Rizzo, Edil de Albuquerque Rodrigues, Ricardo Oliveira Silva, Tatiane Priscila Santos Rodrigues da Luz, Marco Aurelio de Valois Correia, Décio Medeiros Peixoto

Published in

Respiratory research & clinical practice. Volume 52. Issue 3. Pages e20250375. Epub Aug 13, 2026.

Abstract

To analyze endogenous metabolites in exhaled breath condensate before and after eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH) in adolescents with asthma with and without exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).
This was an exploratory study including 44 adolescents with asthma in the 10- to 20-year age bracket. They were divided into two groups: the group of patients with EIB (n = 25) and that of those without (n = 19). EIB was defined as a ≥ 10% reduction in FEV₁ after a six-minute EVH challenge using 5% carbon dioxide. Ventilation was maintained at 21 times the baseline FEV₁. Exhaled breath condensate was collected before EVH and 15-30 min after EVH by using a validated device. Samples were analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance focusing on the region of d1.60-2.00 parts per million. Data were preprocessed by using sum normalization and autoscaling for orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis.
All participants completed the protocol without adverse events. The mean reduction in FEV₁ was significantly greater in the group of patients with EIB than in that of those without (-25.13% vs. -4.37%; mean difference, -20.76%; 95% CI, -26.45 to -15.07). In the EIB group, responses were classified as mild (n = 15), moderate (n = 9), or severe (n = 1). Post-EVH orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis showed significant separation between pre- and post-EVH metabolic profiles in the group of patients with EIB (p < 0.001) but not in that of those without (p = 0.195). The discriminative response in patients with EIB was associated with a marked increase in acetate signal intensity at 1.76 parts per million.
Adolescents with EIB show a distinct metabolic fingerprint that is significantly associated with ventilatory stress. Acetate emerged as a key metabolic differentiator, suggesting a specific biochemical pathway associated with the exercise response and supporting its potential role in precision phenotyping of EIB.

PMID:
42740930
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Sep 2026.

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