Abstract
Background: Asthma is an inflammatory disease, and previous studies have shown that exhaled breath temperature is elevated in asthmatic subjects and that it is correlated with markers of disease; exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and percentage of eosinophils in sputum.
Objective: The aim of the present study is to further explore the relationship between airway inflammation and exhaled breath temperature, by investigating how provocation testing (metacholine and eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH)) influences exhaled breath temperature and whether a correlation between exhaled breath temperature and FeNO or lung function parameters exists.
Method: 28 elite athletes underwent lung function measurements, FeNO measurements, metacholine provocation test, EVH testing, measurements of exhaled breath temperature and skin prick testing, and answered a questionnaire for assessment of allergy and asthma in athletes.
Results: The exhaled breath temperature increased significantly after the metacholine provocation test, but not after the EVH test. There was a significant positive correlation between exhaled breath temperature and PEF, FEV1 and FEF50.
Conclusion: The results from this study show a positive correlation between exhaled breath temperature and lung function measurements (PEF, FEV1 and FEF50), but further investigations are needed to confirm this relationship. The hypothesis that the exhaled breath temperature would increase as a result of the provocation testing was confirmed by the metacholine test but not by the EVH test.