# The Role of Exhaled Breath Analyses in Interstitial Lung Disease

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how analyzing exhaled breath can help diagnose and manage interstitial lung diseases, which are complex and often hard to treat.

## Contribution

The paper provides a critical review and suggests future research directions for using exhaled breath biomarkers in clinical practice for ILDs.

## Key findings

- Exhaled breath analyses can aid in diagnosing and predicting outcomes for interstitial lung diseases.
- Techniques like exhaled nitric oxide and volatile organic compounds are explored for their potential in clinical applications.
- The review highlights the need for further research to validate these biomarkers for routine clinical use.

## Abstract

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) represent a group of lung disorders that primarily affect the lung parenchyma. These disorders are usually progressive, may be debilitating and life threatening, and often pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Exhaled breath analyses offer opportunity for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and to predict prognosis and treatment outcomes. Numerous studies have been published using various exhaled biomarker analyses, including exhaled nitric oxide, exhaled breath condensate, and exhaled volatile organic compounds. This review summarises and critically appraises the literature and offers suggestions for further research to apply exhaled biomarker analyses in clinical practice.