Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome caused by a wide range of
cardiovascular disorders, such as structural or functional abnormalities of
the heart. The clinical status of a HF patient can be evaluated by detecting
specific biomarkers of pathogenic biological processes. Beside conventional
clinical investigations, breath and saliva analysis have been recognized as
one of the most effective, easy, painless and non-invasive ways of
identifying physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
This study was focused on the development and validation of analytical
methods based on GC-MS/MS, HPLC-MS/MS, spectrophotometric and
immunochemical techniques to determine specific breath and saliva
biomarkers. Brain natriuretic peptides, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, uric acid,
tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, aldosterone, α-amylase, lactate and
cortisol in saliva samples, and acetone and isoprene in breath samples were
determined. Special attention was paid to the optimization of the sampling
procedures and sample handling