Introduction: The present study investigates the lower airway inflammation using malondialdehyde and total protein measurement in exhaled breath condensate in mild asthma, persistent rhinitis, and concomitant asthma and rhinitis.
Patients and methods: Asthmatics with mild disease, patients with persistent rhinitis symptomatic for at least one year and healthy controls were included. Asthmatics and rhinitis patients were all newly diagnosed and were free of corticosteroid therapy. Participants were nonsmokers, had no respiratoy tract infection within the previous month. Rhinitis patients with asthmatic symptoms and positive bronchial challenge were grouped as patients with persistent rhinitis and concomitant asthma. Malondialdehyde and total protein were measured in the exhaled breath condensate collected from the subjects.
Results: No statistical difference was found in the malondialdehyde and total protein levels in exhaled breath condensate between the four study groups which are; 53 patients with persistent rhinitis, 12 with mild asthma, 16 persistent rhinitis patients with concomitant asthma and 13 healthy controls (p> 0.05). Atopy and nasal eosinophilia were not related to malondialdehyde and total protein levels in exhaled breath condensate.
Conclusion: Lower airway inflammation is not a disease specific process and is not a prerequisite concerning patients with mild asthma or rhinitis or patients with coexistence of both diseases.