RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Nasal nitric oxide measurements for the screening of primary ciliary dyskinesia
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 43
OP 47
DO 10.1183/09031936.03.00305503
VO 21
IS 1
A1 T. Wodehouse
A1 S.A. Kharitonov
A1 I.S. Mackay
A1 P.J. Barnes
A1 R. Wilson
A1 P.J. Cole
YR 2003
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/21/1/43.abstract
AB Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) presents to general practitioners with symptoms pertinent to a variety of specialists because of the involvement of ciliated epithelium in the upper/lower respiratory tract, ears, eyes and genital tract. There is no easy, reliable screening test for PCD, and thus, the majority of patients remain undiagnosed. Nitric oxide (NO) is measurable in nasal air of normal subjects and found to be low in cystic fibrosis (CF) and very low in PCD. Recently, it was suggested to play an important role in regulating ciliary motility. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether measurements of nasal NO could be used to screen for PCD. Nasal NO was measured from the nasal cavity by a chemiluminescence analyser in subjects with PCD, healthy controls, CF, idiopathic bronchiectasis, Young's syndrome and lone sinusitis. Nasal NO was significantly lower in PCD (64.0±36.6) compared with normal controls (759±145.8), idiopathic bronchiectasis (734±163.7), CF (447.5±162.6), lone sinusitis (1487±734) and Young's syndrome (644±129.9). Nasal NO was also significantly lower in PCD than CF patients. Measurement of nasal nitric oxide may therefore be used clinically in various specialities to screen suspected patients for primary ciliary dyskinesia.