title: Nitric oxide sera levels as an inflammatory marker in asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nitric oxide is an important regulator of various biological activities in human physiology, and it has been studied in the physiopathology of asthma, especially in exhaled air.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We studied the presence of NO in sera of patients with distinct degrees of asthma severity in order to determine a parameter of diagnosis and control of efficacious treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined the presence of NO based upon the Griess reaction in the sera of 124 donors--34 controls and 90 asthmatic subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthmatic patients presented higher levels of nitric oxide in peripheral blood (56.54 +/- 33.37) compared to the control group (3.06 +/- 4.48). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001) between the nitric oxide sera levels from the two groups was demonstrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that nitric oxide sera levels can be used as an additional inflammatory marker in asthma, especially as an auxiliary diagnostic method in children where NO exhaled air analysis is difficult.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, University of Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. arbochav@terra.com.pe
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Arruda-Chaves
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Conti
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tebaldi
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D009569:Nitric Oxide