RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Severity of scleroderma lung disease is related to alveolar concentration of nitric oxide JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 26 OP 30 DO 10.1183/09031936.00129806 VO 30 IS 1 A1 K. P. Tiev A1 J. Cabane A1 F. Aubourg A1 A. Kettaneh A1 M. Ziani A1 L. Mouthon A1 S. Duong-Quy A1 I. Fajac A1 L. Guillevin A1 A. T. Dinh-Xuan YR 2007 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/30/1/26.abstract AB The alveolar concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (CA,NO) is increased in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), but whether this increase is related to the severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in SSc has not yet been investigated. In total, 58 SSc patients prospectively underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs), echocardiogram and fibrosis scoring on pulmonary computed tomography (CT). Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence (or not) of ILD. Measurements of CA,NO were assessed in all SSc patients and compared with those obtained in 19 healthy volunteers. Relationships were sought between CA,NO PFTs and CT scan fibrosis scores. Overall, CA,NO was significantly increased in SSc patients (median (range) 6.2 (3.8–9.9) ppb) as compared with controls (2.0 (1.2–3.0) ppb). Among SSc patients, CA,NO was significantly higher in patients with ILD compared with patients without ILD (n = 33, 7.5 (5.2–11.9) ppb versus n = 25, 4.9 (3.1–7.0) ppb, respectively). CA,NO was inversely related to total lung capacity (r =  −0.34) and the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (r =  −0.37) and was directly related to CT scan fibrosis scores (r = 0.36). An increased alveolar concentration of exhaled nitric oxide could, at least in part, either reflect or contribute to the severity of lung disease and could be used to noninvasively assess the extent of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis.