Extracellular vesicles in allergic rhinitis and asthma and laboratory possibilities for their assessment

Abstract

Currently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of many diseases, including lung disorders, with the possibility of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The analysis of EV in respiratory tract diseases faces many obstacles, including material collection from airways, standardization of isolation techniques, detection methods, the analysis of their content, etc. This review focuses on the role of extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of atopic respiratory diseases, especially asthma, with a special focus on their clinical applicability as a diagnostic tool. We also summarize available laboratory techniques that enable the detection of EVs in various biological materials, with particular emphasis on flow cytometry. The opportunities and limitations of detecting EV in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were also described.