Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2009 Sep;19(3):291-299.

Relationship between Exhaled Nitric Oxide Concentration and Pulmonary Function/Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Asthmatic Children

• Choi BS
• Jee HM
• Park YH
• Kim KW
• Sohn MH
• Kim KE

Abstract

PURPOSE
Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) has been proposed as a non-invasive marker for airway inflammation in asthma. Pulmonary function tests have been widely used in the diagnosis and management of asthma. Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is one of the major features in asthma and usually assessed by the methacholine challenge test. The purpose of the present study was to assess the possible relationship between eNO and pulmonary function/AHR in asthmatic children.
METHODS
There were 121 asthmatic children and 81 controls in the study. The eNO level was measured, the methacholline challenge test, spirometry, impulse oscillometry (IOS) and assessment of their bronchodilator responses were performed on all subjects.
RESULTS
The asthma group had a higher eNO value than the control group [28.3 (15-55.75) vs. 20 (12.35-39.7) ppb, P=0.015]. The eNO level correlated positively with dFEV1 (r=0.230, P= 0.001). It correlate inversely with dR5 (r=-0.149, P=0.036), eNO with PC20 (r=-0.318, P<0.001) and with FEF25-75 (r=-0.17, P=0.015), but not with FEV1.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that eNO values may reflect AHR, as well as airway inflammation, but not pulmonary function.

Keyword

Nitric oxide; Asthma; Children; Spirometry; Bronchial hyperactivity; Impulse oscillometry

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Child
Humans
Inflammation
Methacholine Chloride
Nitric Oxide
Oscillometry
Respiratory Function Tests
Spirometry
Methacholine Chloride
Nitric Oxide