Exhaled nitric oxide measures allergy not symptoms in children with allergic rhinitis in primary care: a prospective cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are both inflammatory diseases and are often associated. Relationships between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and asthma, atopy, and quality of life have been shown.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine whether FeNO in children with AR (n=158) or combined AR and asthma (n=93) was associated with clinical symptoms, house dust mite (HDM)-specific IgE, and rhinitis-specific quality of life, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.


METHODS
Children with AR aged 6-18 years (n=251) in primary care were assessed for FeNO, nasal symptom scores, asthma symptom scores, quality of life, and HDM-specific IgE at baseline and 2 years later.


RESULTS
We found similarly elevated FeNO in children with only AR and in those with combined AR and asthma. No correlations were found between FeNO and nasal or asthma symptoms and rhinitis-related quality of life. Longitudinal correlations were strongest for HDM-specific IgE (r=0.91, p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
FeNO was similar in a selected group of children with AR with and without asthma in primary care and was unrelated to symptoms or quality of life in both groups. FeNO is unlikely to be a useful biomarker of the clinical severity of upper or lower airway disease in primary care.
Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Cindy M A
CM
de Bot
Heleen
H
Moed
Patrick J E
PJ
Bindels
Roy Gerth
RG
van Wijk
Marjolein Y
MY
Berger
Hans
H
de Groot
Johannes C
JC
de Jongste
Johannes C
JC
van der Wouden
D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*
D009569:Nitric Oxide