Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2011 Mar;21(1):24-31.

Relevance of Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels to Asthma Control Test Scores and Spirometry Values in Children with Atopic Asthma

• Kim JO
• Woo SI
• Hahn YS

Abstract

PURPOSE
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been proposed as a tool for assessing airway inflammation in patients with atopic asthma. We evaluated the relationship between FeNO with asthma control test (ACT) scores and spirometry values in children with atopic asthma.
METHODS
One hundred twenty-six children with atopic asthma, 8-16 years of age, were included in the study. None of the participants received regular controller therapy for at least 4 weeks before the study. The ACT (for children >12 years of age) or the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT; for children between the ages of 8 and 11 years of age), FeNO measurements and pulmonary function tests were performed.
RESULTS
The geometric mean of the FeNO in children with atopic asthma (16.1 parts per billion [ppb]; 95% CI, 14.5-17.8 ppb) was significantly higher than that healthy controls (7.5 ppb; 95% CI, 7.0-8.1 ppb; P <0.001). ACT or C-ACT scores were >20 in 82% of enrolled patients and correlated with the %FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and %FEF25-75. However, FeNO was not related to %FEV1, FEV1/FVC, %FEF25-75, and scores for asthma controls. FeNO levels in asthmatic children were not significantly different with respect to age, gender, BMI, and tobacco exposure.
CONCLUSION
FeNO was not related to the spirometry values and scores for asthma control. Measurement of FeNO may be a complementary tool in the assessment of asthma control.

Keyword

Asthma; Child; FeNO; Spirometry; Asthma control test

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Child
Humans
Inflammation
Nitric Oxide
Respiratory Function Tests
Spirometry
Tobacco
Nitric Oxide

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Comparison of FeNO between patients with atopic asthma and non-atopic healthy controls.

Reference

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