title: Association between exhaled nitric oxide and systemic inflammatory markers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways, and there is some evidence to suggest that it is associated with a systemic inflammatory response, as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. Exhaled nitric oxide is a noninvasive measure of asthmatic airway inflammation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there is an association between exhaled nitric oxide and these systemic inflammatory markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study is a birth cohort of approximately 1,000 individuals born between April 1, 1972, and March 31, 1973. At the age of 32 years, study members were assessed for diagnosis of asthma, atopy by skin prick testing, smoking, body mass index, exhaled nitric oxide, high-sensitivity serum CRP, and plasma fibrinogen level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant association between exhaled nitric oxide and CRP (P = .99). There was a trend to an inverse association between exhaled nitric oxide and fibrinogen (P = .049), but this was not significant after adjusting for smoking and use of corticosteroids or after further adjustment for body mass index and atopy (P = .71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population-based sample of young adults, there was no association between airway inflammation, as measured by exhaled nitric oxide, and systemic inflammation, as measured by either CRP or fibrinogen.
authors.affiliation: Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Unit, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tim J T
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: D Robin
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Malcolm R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: Jan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Cowan
authors.forename: Christene R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filsell
authors.forename: Avis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Justina M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Richie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poulton
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hancox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein