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Exhaled carbon monoxide in childhood asthma
C G Uasuf1, A Jatakanon, A James
1Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|November 5, 1999
Summary
Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) levels are higher in children with persistent asthma. While exhaled CO can help assess asthma control, elevated levels are not specific and may indicate viral illness.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Biomarkers
- Pediatric Pulmonology
Background:
- Oxidative stress and inflammation increase heme oxygenase-1 and nitric oxide synthase, producing carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO).
- Elevated exhaled CO and NO in asthmatics suggest their potential as noninvasive markers of airway inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in children with asthma.
- To assess the correlation between exhaled CO and asthma severity or upper respiratory tract infections.
Main Methods:
- Measured forced expiratory volume in the first second, PC(20), and exhaled CO and NO levels in children with asthma and healthy controls.
- Analyzed the association between exhaled CO and upper respiratory tract infections.
Main Results:
- Exhaled CO levels were significantly higher in children with persistent asthma compared to infrequent episodic asthma and healthy children.
- Exhaled NO levels were elevated in both persistent and infrequent episodic asthma groups compared to healthy children.
- Healthy children with upper respiratory tract infections showed elevated exhaled CO during acute illness.
Conclusions:
- Noninvasive measurement of exhaled CO may offer complementary data for assessing asthma control in children.
- Elevated exhaled CO levels are nonspecific and can be associated with acute viral illnesses.