Is nitric oxide involved in the pathophysiology of essential hyperhidrosis?
BACKGROUND
Essential hyperhidrosis (EH) is a disorder of excessive, bilateral, and relatively symmetric sweating occurring in the axillae, palms, soles, or craniofacial region without obvious etiology. The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in eccrine clear cells, reported by an immunohistochemical technique, has suggested that nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in the physiology of production and/or excretion of sweat in the human skin eccrine gland.


OBJECTIVE
To determine plasma NO levels in patients with EH and healthy controls.


METHODS
We assessed the levels of plasma NO in patients with EH (n = 31) in comparison with those in age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 28). Total nitrite (nitrite + nitrate) was measured by a spectrophotometer at 545 nm after the conversion of nitrate to nitrite by copperized cadmium granules.


RESULTS
Plasma NO levels were found to be significantly increased in EH patients in comparison with the control group (P = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate a possible role of increased plasma NO levels in the pathophysiology of EH.
Karaca
Semsettin
S
Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey. skaraca@aku.edu.tr
Kulac
Mustafa
M
Uz
Efkan
E
Barutcu
Irfan
I
Yilmaz
H Ramazan
HR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide