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Exhaled nitric oxide in childhood asthma
A Artlich1, J U Hagenah, S Jonas
1Klinik für Pädiatrie, Lübeck, Germany.
Insights
Children with asthma show higher levels of orally exhaled nitric oxide (NO). This finding may help in understanding asthma-related inflammation in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pulmonology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) is endogenously synthesized and present in exhaled air across species.
- Elevated NO levels are observed in adults with bronchial asthma, linked to pulmonary inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate oral and nasal exhaled nitric oxide (NO) levels in children with and without bronchial asthma.
- To explore correlations between exhaled NO and lung function parameters in pediatric asthma.
Main Methods:
- Chemiluminescence was used to measure oral and nasal exhaled NO in 47 children (6-10 years).
- The study included 30 children with bronchial asthma and 17 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Asthmatic children exhibited significantly higher oral exhaled NO (13.4 ± 1.4 ppb) compared to healthy controls (7.2 ± 1.0 ppb).
- Nasal exhaled NO levels did not significantly differ between the groups.
- A negative correlation was found between oral exhaled NO and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1).
Conclusions:
- Children diagnosed with bronchial asthma demonstrate significantly elevated levels of orally exhaled nitric oxide.
- Orally exhaled NO may serve as a potential biomarker for asthma-related inflammation in children.
Unlabelled:
Endogenous synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) and its presence in exhaled air was observed in various species including humans. Particularly high levels were found in adults with bronchial asthma, possibly because of the underlying pulmonary inflammatory activity. We studied oral and nasal exhaled NO by chemiluminescence in 47 children aged between 6 and 10 years. Thirty children had bronchial asthma, 17 were healthy controls. In asthmatic children oral exhaled NO was 13.4 +/- 1.4 parts per billion (ppb) (mean +/- SEM), nasal exhaled NO was 21.7 +/- 1.5 ppb. In healthy controls oral exhaled NO was 7.2 +/0 1.0 ppb, nasal exhaled NO was 18.2 +/- 22 ppb. Oral exhaled NO was significantly higher in asthmatic children compared to healthy controls (P = 0.0017). Nasal exhaled NO did not differ significantly in the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between oral exhaled NO and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FeV1). No significant correlation between oral or nasal exhaled NO and other markers of obstructive lung function impairment, oral minute ventilation, the body mass index and the presence of upper respiratory tract infection could be found.
Conclusion:
Children with bronchial asthma have significantly higher levels of orally exhaled nitric oxide than healthy controls.