PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Kanako Furukawa AU - Hisatoshi Sugiura AU - Kazuto Matsunaga AU - Tomohiro Ichikawa AU - Akira Koarai AU - Tsunahiko Hirano AU - Masakazu Ichinose TI - Increase of nitrosative stress in patients with eosinophilic pneumonia DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - p794 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p794.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p794.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - Background: Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) production is increased in asthma and reflects the degree of airway inflammation. The alveolar NO concentration (Calv) in interstitial pneumonia is reported to be increased compared to that in asthma. However, it remains unknown whether NO production is increased and nitrosative stress occurs in eosinophilic pneumonia (EP).Objective: We hypothesized that nitrosative stress markers including Calv, inducible type of NO synthase (iNOS), and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), are upregulated in EP.Methods: Exhaled NO was measured in healthy subjects and in patients with interstitial pneumonia including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis and EP. iNOS expression and 3-NT formation were assessed by immunocytochemistory in BALf cells. The exhaled NO, lung function, and systemic inflammatory markers of the EP patients were investigated after corticosteroid treatment.Results: The Calv levels in the EP group were significantly higher than those in the healthy subjects and the other interstitial pneumonia groups as well as the fractional exhaled NO (FENO) levels. More iNOS and 3-NT positive cells were observed in the EP group compared to the healthy subject and IPF patient. The Calv levels had significant correlations with both iNOS (p<0.05) and 3-NT positive cells (p<0.01). Corticosteroid treatment significantly reduced both the FENO (p<0.05) and the Calv levels (p<0.01). The magnitude of reduction in the Calv levels had a significant correlation with the peripheral blood eosinophil counts (p<0.05).Conclusion: These results suggested that nitrosative stress was augmented in EP and may be involved in the pathogenesis.