Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in Biomass Smoke-Associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by local and systemic inflammation independently of the risk factor; during the exacerbations, such inflammation is accentuated and amplified. A practical inflammatory marker and one with an applicable predictive value in the follow-up has been sought. FeNO has shown an excellent performance in that respect within the context of asthma and has also been studied in tobacco-smoke COPD (COPD-TS). In Biomass-smoke COPD (COPD-BS), this, to our knowledge, has not been evaluated.

To measure FeNO levels in patients with COPD-BS and to compare these with those of patients with stable COPD-TS and in healthy controls.

Transversal, observational, descriptive, comparative, and analytical study. A total of 57 patients, including 23 with COPD-BS, 17 with COPD-TS, and 17 healthy control subjects. The measurement of FeNO was carried out on all of these by means of the on-line chemiluminescence technique; the values were expressed in parts per billion (ppb) for their analysis.

It was observed that the FeNO values were similar between COPD-BS and COPD-TS and were significantly different between the healthy and stable COPD (both groups). No correlation was found between pulmonary function and symptoms with FeNO in any of the groups.

The level of FeNO in stable COPD is found to be increased in a similar manner in COPD-BS and COPD-TS, with a significant difference on comparing it with that of the healthy subjects.