[Exhaled and nasal nitric oxide in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and effects of nasal steroids].
BACKGROUND
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the action of NO synthase (NOS) using L-arginine as a substrate in various cells and found in air exhaled by humans. Previous studies suggest that almost all exhaled NO is derived from the upper airways and increases in patients with untreated asthma and allergic rhinitis. Exhaled NO is inhibited by treatment with inhalation of steroids that may be caused by inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The purpose of this study is to determine whether exhaled and nasal NO increases in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis compared with nonallergic healthy subjects, and whether it is affected by treatment with nasal steroids. Furthermore, we investigated its relation to nasal function and allergic rhinitis.


METHODS
10 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and 5 healthy normal subjects were tested. All subjects had no history of respiratory infection for at least 2 weeks and did not smoke. Exhaled NO was collected in a sampling bag from oral and nasal breathing, and nasal NO was sampled directly from the nasal cavity. Both were measured by a chemiluminescence NO analyzer, ML9841, at a detection limit of 1 part per billion (ppb). Subjects used nasal steroids for 2 weeks and were measured similarly afterwards.


RESULTS
NO concentrations in nasal air and air exhaled from the nose in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis (277.9 +/- 59.5 ppb, 34.4 +/- 3.9 ppb, n = 10) were higher than the normal subjects (153.3 +/- 30.6 ppb, 19.9 +/- 3.4 ppb, n = 5) (p < 0.05). NO exhaled from the mouth was not significantly different between patients (20.5 +/- 4.9 ppb) and normal subjects (23.7 +/- 2.6 ppb). In patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis, the concentration of nasal NO and nasal exhaled NO were significantly decreased after treatment with nasal steroids (144.0 +/- 21.0 ppb, 26.1 +/- 3.0 ppb) (p < 0.01, p < 0.05), but there was no change in oral exhaled NO (17.2 +/- 3.3 ppb). In normal subjects, oral (22.5 +/- 5.3 ppb), nasal exhaled NO (19.1 +/- 2.3 ppb), and nasal NO (151.2 +/- 24.8 ppb) were not changed.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis, nasal NO was increased and decreased by nasal steroids. These results suggest that increased nasal NO in patients with allergic rhinitis is produced by induction of iNOS and that nasal NO produces the symptoms of nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea.
Miyazaki
Y
Y
Second Department of Otolaryngology, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001944:Breath Tests; D005260:Female; D000068298:Fluticasone; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D011058:Pollen; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D014197:Trees
D000336:Aerosols; D000730:Androstadienes; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000068298:Fluticasone; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II