title: The fractional exhaled nitric oxide and serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in cough variant asthma and typical bronchial asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is known to be a good marker of airway eosinophilic inflammation in bronchial asthma. Recently, serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been shown to be also useful to detect the airway inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Newly diagnosed 90 cough variant asthma and 92 bronchial asthma patients were enrolled. FeNO, serum hs-CRP, pulmonary function tests, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, IgE and sputum eosinophils ratio were compared. Ninety healthy control subjects were set for FeNO and serum hs-CRP normal range reference. We have compared the clinical utilities of FeNO and serum hs-CRP to differentiate bronchial asthma and cough variant asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FeNO was significantly higher in bronchial asthma (92.6 ± 85.5ppb) than in cough variant asthma (35.6 ± 43.3; p < 0.001) and both were significantly higher than normal range (18.0 ± 6.4, p < 0.001, respectively), and in differentiating between the two groups showed a sensitivity of 0.69 and a specificity of 0.73 at the cutoff value of 28 ppb. Serum hs-CRP did not differ significantly between bronchial asthma (723 ± 1162ng/ml) and cough variant asthma (558 ± 758) even if both were significantly higher than normal range (345 ± 401, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FeNO is more useful than serum hs-CRP in differentiating patients with bronchial asthma from those with cough variant asthma, and healthy persons.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Fukuoka National Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Terufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Obase
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kishikawa
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyatake
authors.forename: Soji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D003371:Cough; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein