Airway Metabolic Anomalies in Adolescents with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: New Insights from the Metabolomic Approach

ObjectivesTo assess a group of adolescents with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) from a biochemical-metabolic standpoint, applying the metabolomic approach to studying their exhaled breath condensate (EBC).Study designTwenty adolescents with BPD (mean age 14.8 years) and 15 healthy controls (mean age 15.2 years) were recruited for EBC collection, exhaled nitric oxide measurement, and spirometry. The EBC samples were analyzed using a metabolomic approach based on mass spectrometry. The obtained spectra were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis tools.ResultsA reliable Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures-Discriminant Analysis model showed a clear discrimination between cases of BPD and healthy controls (R2 = 0.95 and Q2 = 0.92). The search for putative biomarkers identified an altered complex lipid profile in the adolescents with BPD.ConclusionsThe metabolomic analysis of EBC distinguishes cases of BPD from healthy individuals, suggesting that the lung of survivors of BPD is characterized by long-term metabolic abnormalities. The search for putative biomarkers indicated a possible role of an altered surfactant composition, which may persist far beyond infancy.