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

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.