Nitric oxide metabolites are not reduced in exhaled breath condensate of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether nitric oxide (NO) metabolites would be reduced in children affected by primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).


METHODS
Single-center observational study.


METHODS
Fifteen children with PCD (seven boys; mean [+/- SEM] age, 10.3 +/- 0.7 years; mean FEV(1), 73 +/- 2.1% predicted) were recruited along with 14 healthy age-matched subjects (seven boys; mean age, 11.5 +/- 0.4 years; mean FEV(1), 103 +/- 5% predicted).


METHODS
We assessed the levels of nitrite (NO(2)(-)), NO(2)(-)/NO(3)(-) (NO(2)(-)/NO(3)(-)), and S-nitrosothiol in exhaled breath condensate, exhaled NO, and nasal NO from children with PCD compared to those in healthy children.


RESULTS
The mean exhaled and nasal NO levels were markedly decreased in children with PCD compared to those without PCD (3.2 +/- 0.2 vs 8.5 +/- 0.9 parts per billion [ppb], respectively [p < 0.0001]; 59.6 +/- 12.2 vs 505.5 +/- 66.8 ppb, respectively [p < 0.001]). Despite the lower levels of exhaled NO in children with PCD, no differences were found in the mean levels of NO(2)(-) (2.9 +/- 0.4 vs 3.5 +/- 0.3 microM, respectively), NO(2)(-)/NO(3)(-) (35.2 +/- 5.0 vs 34.3 +/- 4.5 microM, respectively), or S-nitrosothiol (1.0 +/- 0.2 vs 0.6 +/- 0.1 microM, respectively) between children with PCD and healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that NO synthase activity may not be decreased as much as might be expected on the basis of low exhaled and nasal NO levels.
Csoma
Zsuzsanna
Z
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, UK.
Bush
Andrew
A
Wilson
Nicola M
NM
Donnelly
Louise
L
Balint
Beatrix
B
Barnes
Peter J
PJ
Kharitonov
Sergei A
SA
D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000737:chemistry; D026403:S-Nitrosothiols / Q000737:chemistry; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D026403:S-Nitrosothiols; D013256:Steroids; D009569:Nitric Oxide