Exhaled nitric oxide and bronchial wall thickening in asthmatics during and after acute exacerbation: evidence of bronchial wall remodeling.
To assess whether bronchial wall thickening during asthma exacerbations is due to active inflammation in severe asthmatics, we measured bronchial wall thickness and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) following treatment. Nine asthmatics were compared with seven controls with high-resolution computed tomography, spirometry, and FeNO measurements. The asthmatic bronchial wall area percent and FeNO was greater than controls. Following treatment, the FEV1 markedly improved, FeNO decreased modestly, and bronchial wall area percent did not change significantly. Bronchial wall thickening persisted after treatment of acute asthma exacerbation despite improvement in spirometry and decline in FeNO, possibly due to chronic airway remodeling.
Ketai
Loren
L
Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
Harkins
Michelle
M
Fiato
Karen-Lynn
KL
Iwamoto
Gary K
GK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D045853:Exhalation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D009569:Nitric Oxide