Exhaled breath analysis could create "molecular fingerprints" or "breath prints"

Exhaled breath constitutes more than 3,500 components, the bulk of which are volatile organic compounds in miniature quantities:

- systemic biomarkers
- lung biomarkers

Assessment of lung biomarkers may be useful in airway inflammatory diseases:

- nitric oxide and inflammatory indicators in exhaled breath condensate such as oxidative stress markers (eg, hydrogen peroxide and isoprostanes)
- nitric oxide derivatives (eg, nitrates)
- arachidonic acid metabolites (eg, prostanoids, leukotrienes, and epoxides)
- adenosine

Exhaled breath temperature measurement and devices of the “electronic nose” type have been explored.

Exhaled breath temperature measurement and other techniques could create "molecular fingerprints" or "breath prints".

Inflammation in asthma (mind map). FeNO is a marker of oxidative stress. See more Allergy and Immunology mind maps here.

References:
Human exhaled breath analysis. Todor A. Popov, Annals of Allergy and Imm, Volume 106, Issue 6, Pages 451-456 (June 2011).

Image source: NioxMino.