PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J Dotsch
AU  - S Demirakca
AU  - HG Terbrack
AU  - G Huls
AU  - W Rascher
AU  - PG Kuhl
TI  - Airway nitric oxide in asthmatic children and patients with cystic fibrosis
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.96.09122537
DP  - 1996 Dec 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 2537--2540
VI  - 9
IP  - 12
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/12/2537.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/12/2537.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1996 Dec 01; 9
AB  - We evaluated the effects of asthma and cystic fibrosis on nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in the respiratory tract. NO levels in orally exhaled air and nasal gas samples were studied in 90 asthmatic patients (4-14 yrs), 67 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) (5-32 yrs), and 68 controls (4-34 yrs). NO concentrations measured by chemiluminescene were correlated with the patient's vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and specific airway resistance. In all groups, NO concentrations in orally-exhaled air correlated with the inhaled ambient NO (r = 0.85-0.91). At an ambient NO concentration of 0 parts per billion (ppb), asthmatic patients exhaled air with higher NO concentrations than cystic fibrosis patients and controls (8.0 +/- 6.1 ppb (n = 33); 4.9 +/- 2.6 ppb (n = 23); and 3.0 +/- 2.5 ppb (n = 37); respectively; p < 0.001). Similar results were obtained for ventilation-adjusted orally-exhaled NO. Nasal NO concentrations were lower in patients with CF (23 +/- 17 ppb) than in controls and asthmatics (96 +/- 47 and 103 +/- 64 ppb; p < 0.001). There was no relationship between nasal or oral NO and pulmonary function tests. Our results suggest that ambient NO levels influence NO concentrations in orally-exhaled air. Like adults, asthmatic children exhale more NO than their controls. Reduced nasal NO concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis may reflect chronic epithelial cell damage or an increased mucosal barrier impeding NO diffusion into the airway.