Abstract
Introduction: Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) has been proposed as a screening tool for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). However, there are no reference values by age in consensus guidelines.
Objectives: 1) To analyze differences in nNO among a group of patients with PCD and healthy controls. 2) To determine the proportion of pediatric PCD patients with nNO values similar to healthy population.
Methods: Determination of nNO by electrochemical system (NIOX Vario®) in patients with DCP (diagnosis confirmed by digital high speed videomicroscopy) and healthy controls (without asthma, rhinitis or atopic dermatitis), aged between 7 and 60 years.
Results: 32 patients (17 children, 53.1%) and 32 controls (18 children, 56.2%) were included. nNO differences were globally significant in both groups (161.4 ppb in PCD vs 2338.8 ppb in controls, p <0.0001). However, 6 patients with PCD (18.7%) had similar values to those found in the control group. Five of them (83.3%) were children. Therefore, 5 of the 17 children with a confirmed diagnosis of PCD (29.4%) had nNO values that might have been considered normal. These results were maintained after excluding those individuals with allergic sensitization (positive skin test) in both groups.
Conclusions: nNO may be normal in a high percentage of PCD children, so its role as a screening method in this group of age should be considered with caution. Definitive diagnostic tests should be performed in case of high clinical suspicion of the desease.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016