Occupational exposure and health surveys at metal additive manufacturing facilities.

Introduction: Additive manufacturing is a novel state-of-the art technology with significant economic and practical advantages, including the ability to produce complex structures on demand while reducing the need of stocking materials and products. Additive manufacturing is a technology that is here to stay; however, new technologies bring new challenges, not only technical but also from an occupational health and safety perspective. Herein, leading Swedish companies using metal additive manufacturing were studied with the aim of investigating occupational exposure and the utility of chosen exposure- and clinical markers as predictors of potential exposure-related health risks.

Activation of the Complement and Coagulation Systems in the Small Airways in Asthma.

Background: Several studies have shown the importance of the complement and coagulation systems in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Objectives: We explored whether we could detect differentially abundant complement and coagulation proteins in the samples obtained from the small airway lining fluid by collection of exhaled particles in patients with asthma and whether these proteins are associated with small airway dysfunction and asthma control.

Method: Exhaled particles were obtained from 20 subjects with asthma and 10 healthy controls (HC) with the PExA method and analysed with the SOMAscan proteomics platform.

Exhaled biomarkers in adults with non-productive cough.

Background: Chronic cough is a common condition but disease mechanisms are not fully understood. Our aim was to study respiratory biomarkers from the small airways in individuals with non-productive cough.

Methods: A cohort of 107 participants answered detailed questionnaires, performed spirometry, exhaled NO measurement, impulse oscillometry, gave blood samples and particles in exhaled air (PEx) samples.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can be detected in exhaled aerosol sampled during a few minutes of breathing or coughing.

Background: The knowledge on the concentration of viral particles in exhaled breath is limited. The aim of this study was to explore if severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be detected in aerosol from subjects with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during various types of breathing and coughing and how infection with SARS-CoV-2 may influence the number and size of exhaled aerosol particles.

Methods: We counted and collected endogenous particles in exhaled breath in subjects with COVID-19 disease by two different impaction-based methods, during 20 normal breaths, 10 airway opening breaths, and three coughs, respectively.

Smoking induces sex-specific changes in the small airway proteome.

Introduction: Cigarette smoke triggers many cellular and signaling responses in the lung and the resulting inflammation plays a central role in smoke-related lung diseases, such as COPD. We explored the effects of smoking on the small airway proteome in samples obtained by collection of exhaled particles with the aim to identify specific proteins dysregulated by smoking.

Methods: Exhaled particles were obtained from 38 current smokers, 47 former smokers and 22 healthy controls with the PExA method.

Intra-individual variation of particles in exhaled air and of the contents of Surfactant protein A and albumin.

Introduction: Particles in exhaled air (PEx) provide samples of respiratory tract lining fluid from small airways containing, for example, Surfactant protein A (SP-A) and albumin, potential biomarkers of small airway disease. We hypothesized that there are differences between morning, noon, and afternoon measurements and that the variability of repeated measurements is larger between days than within days.

Methods: PEx was obtained in sixteen healthy non-smoking adults on 11 occasions, within one day and between days.