Exhaled breath condensate analysis in mechanically ventilated ICU patients
Official title: Proteomic Analysis of Exhaled Breath Condensate in Mechanically Ventilated Intensive Care Patients
Run by The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Republic · NCT06189924 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will collect small samples of exhaled breath condensate and blood from mechanically ventilated ICU patients to see if protein and molecular patterns can signal early lung or other organ problems.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Republic Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Olomouc and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | June 25, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06189924 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation whose ventilator circuit is technically suitable for safe EBC sampling.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients whose ventilation is so unstable that inserting a sampling kit would risk respiratory deterioration, or whose circuits cannot be sampled, are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will collect tiny amounts of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) from the ventilator circuit and paired venous blood samples from mechanically ventilated intensive care patients. EBC will undergo proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry while blood will be profiled for DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites. The team will standardize a sampling method that does not alter ventilation parameters and will freeze and process samples for molecular analysis. Resulting molecular profiles will be correlated with routine clinical and ventilation data to identify patterns that appear at early stages of lung or systemic pathology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could enable earlier detection of lung and other organ problems, potentially shortening mechanical ventilation and ICU stays and reducing complications.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot studies of exhaled breath condensate and related breath-based proteomic approaches have shown promise, but the method remains largely exploratory and not yet widely validated.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Intensive care setting Mechanical ventilation Ventilator/ventilator circuit technically suitable for sampling of exhaled breath condensate Exclusion Criteria: Mechanical ventilation challenging to the extent that the insertion of the sampling kit into the ventilator circuit would substantially increase the risk for respiratory deterioration
Where it's running
-
Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University
Olomouc, Czechia Recruiting -
University Hospital Olomouc
Olomouc, Czechia Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Emil Berta, MD PhD — IMTM, Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
- Study coordinator: Emil Berta, MD PhD
- Email: e.berta@upol.cz
- Phone: +420585632111
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.