Title:Metabolomic Profiling of Exhaled Breath Condensate and Plasma/
Serum in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Volume: 29
Issue: 14
Author(s): Salvatore Fuschillo, Debora Paris, Annabella Tramice, Pasquale Ambrosino, Letizia Palomba, Mauro Maniscalco*Andrea Motta*
Affiliation:
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Division of the Telese Terme Institute,
82037 Telese Terme (BN), Italy
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council, 80078
Pozzuoli (NA), Italy
Keywords:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, metabolomics, disability, biomarkers, rehabilitation, outcome, chronic disease.
Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an increasing cause of global
morbidity and mortality, with poor long-term outcomes and chronic disability. COPD is
a condition with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, with different phenotypes being
identified even among patients with comparable degrees of airflow limitation. Considering
the burden of COPD in terms of social and economic costs, in recent years growing
attention has been given to the need for more personalized approaches and patienttailored
rehabilitation programs. In this regard, the systematic analysis of metabolites in
biological matrices, namely metabolomics, may become an essential tool in phenotyping
diseases. Through the identification and quantification of the small molecules produced
during biological processes, metabolomic profiling of biological samples has thus been
proposed as an opportunity to identify novel biomarkers of disease outcome and treatment
response. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and plasma/serum are fluid pools, which can
be easily extracted and analyzed. In this review, we discuss the potential clinical applications
of the metabolomic profiling of EBC and plasma/serum in COPD.