title: [The methodological aspects of nasal and exhaled nitric oxide levels in adult Japanese asthmatics].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because both allergic rhinitis and asthma are caused by eosinophilic airway inflammation, using the same method to measure the eosinophilic inflammation of both the upper and lower airway would be advantageous. The levels of nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO) and nasal air (nNO) are useful as noninvasive markers of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Although the off-line method of measuring these parameters is easier and more useful than the on-line method, studies using the off-line method are rare in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Study 1, we measured the levels of nNO and FeNO in 9 healthy controls and 9 subjects with allergic rhinitis, to validate the methodology for using the off-line method to measure nNO. In Study 2, we measured the nNO and FeNO levels of and performed spirometry on 69 stable asthmatics treated with inhaled corticosteroid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Study 1, nNO levels were significantly increased in patients with allergic rhinitis compared with healthy subjects (31.0 [20.8 to 41.2] versus 7.4 [0.0 to 14.8] ppb {median [95% confidence interval]}, p=0.018). The 69 patients with asthma that comprised the study population in Study 2 were classified as asthmatics with rhinitis (treatment-naïve, n=14; treated with antiallergic drugs, n=11; treated with intranasal corticosteroid, n=19) and asthmatics without rhinitis (n=15). Although FeNO did not differ among groups, nNO was significantly increased in treatment-naïve asthmatics with rhinitis compared with patients with asthma only (26.5 [17.1 to 35.9] versus 8.0 [-1.1 to 17.1] ppb, p=0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  nNO levels measured by the off-line method are useful markers of allergic rhinitis.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara National Hospital. t-tuburai@Sagamihara-hosp.gr.jp
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuburai
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsurikisawa
authors.forename: Toyota
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Noritaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: Sonoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yuma
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukutomi
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.forename: Chiyako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oshikata
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otomo
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikehara
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D009666:Nose; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide