Introduction
preterm birthExhaled breath condensate, lung disease, ALF, BPD, term-born
LUNG DISEASE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Respiratory pathophysiology is a common long-term consequence of preterm birthExhaled breath condensate (EBC) provides a useful sample to study in children due to its ease in collection. EBC is composed of droplets of the airway lining fluid (ALF), evolved from all compartments of the lung during tidal breathing. It is a complex mixture of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites and volatile organic compounds reflecting lung tissue biologyWe hypothesised that the EBC proteome in preterm-born children with lung disease would be altered when compared to term born controls; and that treatment, in an RCT, would normalise any abnormalities detected. We, therefore, compared the EBC proteome obtained from preterm-born school-aged children, with and without BPD, to term-born controls. In addition, we compared the EBC proteome in preterm-born children with low lung function, who were treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), a combination of ICS and long-acting β2 agonist (LABA) and placebo in a RCT