Exhaled nitric oxide in children with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma: a relationship with bronchial hyperreactivity.
BACKGROUND
Nowadays, the measure of the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) enables to assess airway inflammation during an office visit and there is international consensus on this testing methodology. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether FeNO measurement is predictable for bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) in children with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or both.


METHODS
Two hundred and eighty children with allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, or both were evaluated. Bronchial function (FEV₁ and FEF(25-75)), BHR (assessed by methacholine challenge), FeNO, and sensitizations were assessed.


RESULTS
Bronchial function, BHR, and FeNO were significantly different in the three groups (p < .001). A strong inverse correlation between FeNO and BHR was found in patients with asthma and with asthma and rhinitis (r = -0.63 and r = -0.61, respectively). A cutoff of 32 ppb of FeNO was a predictive factor for BHR.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the relevance of FeNO as possible marker for BHR in allergic children and underlines the close link between upper and lower airways.
Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. gio.cip@libero.it
Giorgio
G
Ciprandi
Maria Angela
MA
Tosca
Michele
M
Capasso
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012882:Skin Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D009569:Nitric Oxide