Clinical Trial: Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensates in Acute Lung Injury: Early Detection and Outcome Predictors

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensates in Acute Lung Injury: Early Detection and Outcome Predictors

Brief Summary: Metabolomics, or metabonomics, is a large-scale approach to monitoring as many as possible of the compounds involved in cellular processes in a single assay to derive metabolic profiles. Metabolomics allows for a global assessment of a cellular state within the context of the immediate environment, taking into account genetic regulation, altered kinetic activity of enzymes, and changes in metabolic reactions. Metabolomics may be useful for understanding metabolic imbalances and for diagnosis of human disease. The investigators plan to collect exhaled breath condensate from patients with acute lung injury. Metabolomic analysis in the patients may help us to explore some novel biomarkers for the disease diagnosis and outcome prediction.

Detailed Summary:

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the intensive care unit (ICU). The causes of ALI/ARDS differ from patient to patient, including sepsis, aspiration, systemic inflammation, trauma, blood transfusion, etc. With early detection and treatment, the survival rate may be improved significantly. However, it is often difficult to differentiate ALI/ARDS from cardiogenic pulmonary edema or other causes, even with advanced technology and invasive tools. A potential tool is the breath chemical test, ranging from exhaled gas measurement, such as exhaled nitric oxide or carbonic monoxide, to volatile organic compound determination and nonvolatile biomarker profiling. Being completely noninvasive, sampling of the exhaled breath condensates (EBC) allows clinicians and researchers to assess body functions in an easier and flexible manner. Exhaled breath contains thousands of volatile and nonvolatile compounds in trace amounts. Therefore, it is not until recently, after the development of highly sensitive cutting-edge technologies in sample analysis, that the evaluation of this type of human specimens becomes possible. Advanced technologies in proteomics, metabolomics, GC/LC-Mass Spectrometry and pattern recognition computation generate a field of exhaled biomarker profiling, called "breathomics." After the establishment of the metabolomic profiling of EBC in patients with ALI, ARDS or cardiogenic pulmonary edema, a useful and powerful noninvasive tool for ALI/ARDS diagnosis and outcome prediction could be set up.

Metabolomics, or metabonomics, is a large-scale approach to monitoring as many as possible of the compounds involved in cellular processes in a single assay to derive metabolic profiles. Although metabolomics first referred to the monitoring of individual cells and metabonomics ref
Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital

Current Primary Outcome:

• Diagnosis [ Time Frame: 28 days ]
  To differentiate ALI/ARDS from cardiogenic pulmonary edema or other causes
• Disease severity [ Time Frame: 28 days ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: National Taiwan University Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: January 2, 2012
Date Started: August 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: January 3, 2012
Last Verified: September 2011