Background
PEx, exhaled breath
CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE, INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE
Alterations of surfactant phospholipid (PL) composition play an important role in acute and chronic lung diseases [There is currently a broad consent that exhaled breath particles (PEx) are formed when collapsed distal airways (~14So far, nothing is known about the PL composition of PEx at baseline and under inflammatory conditions. Therefore, we collected PEx in an experimental endotoxin challenge and compared its PL composition with BAL and ISP samples. In this two-period study, healthy volunteers underwent a segmental LPS challenge with bronchoscopies and BAL in the first part and a whole lung inhalation LPS challenge with sputum induction in the second part resulting in a clear inflammatory response in BAL and ISP [