Inflammation is involved in the pathology of many disease conditions. For example, inflammation and cancer are linked, with the increased prevalence of long-term chronic inflammation that comes with age can be a factor in cancer progression. Other links have also been observed, such as between inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Inflammation is a complex and multifactorial process that causes increased oxidative stress within cells which can result in lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation can produce volatile compounds such as acetaldehyde, alkanes, alkenes, and other small-chain hydrocarbons.
Importantly, the specific volatile compounds produced depend on the different cell types, and hence different tissues in the body that are affected by inflammation may produce different volatile inflammatory markers. It is therefore possible that unique patterns of lipid peroxidation products can be associated with different disease pathologies. Once identified and validated, the pattern of volatile compounds in breath could then serve as next-generation biomarkers for the presence of these diseases.
Most biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation are often investigated in clinical settings using invasive techniques, such as blood tests. Exhaled breath offers a unique roster of potential biomarkers arising from metabolic pathways in the body that may be disrupted by inflammation and can be collected completely non-invasively. This makes breath an advantageous biomarker matrix to study in comparison to more expensive, more invasively acquired samples that are difficult to tolerate.
Case Studies
A detailed look at some of the research studies investigating biomarkers for inflammation in a range of disease areas.
Reviewing breath biomarkers for inflammatory respiratory diseases
Monitoring exercise induced inflammation in IBD patients
FURTHER READING
Other recommended reading:
- CASE STUDY: Volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath reflect physiological changes in ultramarathon runners.
- OWLSTONE INSIGHTS BLOG: Enabling Focused Biomarker Research for Chronic Inflammatory Airway Disease
- POSTER: Investigating allergen-induced acute lung inflammation in asthmatic individuals using Breath Biopsy.
- CASE STUDY: Breath VOC biomarkers for asthma: where are we at in 2024?
- PAPER: Metabolic insights at the finish line – deciphering physiological changes in ultramarathon runners through breath VOC analysis.
- PAPER: Visualization of exhaled breath metabolites reveals distinct diagnostic signatures for acute cardiorespiratory breathlessness.
- OWLSTONE INSIGHTS BLOG: The Link Between Inflammation and Cancer.
- CASE STUDY: Assessing inflammation in stroke patients.
- PRESENTATION: Induced inflammation on in vitro lung models.
- VIDEO: Physiological changes in ultramarathon runners: paper summary video.
- PAGE: Exhaled breath for non-invasive exposure research.
- CASE STUDY: Breath VOC biomarkers for infectious diseases.
- PRESENTATION: Breath volatile organic compound analysis reveals biological shifts in ultramarathon runners.
Blog
Articles published on our blog related to inflammation.
