Pulmonary functions in children with inflammatory bowel disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Pulmonology
• Immunology

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract.
• Airway inflammation, indicated by fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, has been observed in adults with IBD, but data in pediatric populations are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels in children diagnosed with CD and UC.
• To assess the correlation between FeNO levels and the activity of intestinal disease in these pediatric patients.
• To compare FeNO levels and spirometry results between children with IBD and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of children aged 8-18 years with CD and UC, along with age-matched healthy controls.
• Assessment of disease activity using validated scoring systems.
• Performance of spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) tests on all participants.

Main Results:

• Children with CD exhibited higher mean FeNO levels compared to healthy controls.
• A significantly higher percentage of children with CD (46%) and UC (33%) had elevated FeNO levels (>23 parts per billion) compared to controls (0%).
• No significant correlation was found between FeNO levels and intestinal disease activity, nor were there differences in spirometric variables.

Conclusions:

• Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is elevated in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), suggesting airway inflammation.
• Elevated FeNO levels in children with CD and UC are independent of their intestinal disease activity.
• The findings suggest potential latent pulmonary involvement in pediatric IBD, even in the absence of respiratory symptoms.