Measuring nasal nitric oxide in allergic rhinitis patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to compare two sampling methods for nasal nitric oxide in healthy individuals and allergic rhinitis patients, and to examine the within-subject reliability of nasal nitric oxide measurement.


METHODS
The study included 23 allergic rhinitis patients without concomitant asthma and 10 healthy individuals. For all participants, nitric oxide levels were measured non-invasively from the lungs through the mouth (i.e. the oral fractional exhaled nitric oxide) and the nose. Nasal nitric oxide was measured by two different methods: (1) nasal aspiration via one nostril during breath holding and (2) single-breath quiet exhalation against resistance through a tight facemask (i.e. the nasal fractional exhaled nitric oxide).


RESULTS
Compared with healthy participants, allergic rhinitis patients had significantly higher average oral and nasal nitric oxide levels. All methods of nitric oxide measurement had excellent reliability.


CONCLUSIONS
Nasal nitric oxide measurement is a useful and reliable clinical tool for diagnosing allergic rhinitis in patients without asthma in an out-patient setting.
School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
V S
VS
Nesic
School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
V Z
VZ
Djordjevic
School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
V
V
Tomic-Spiric
School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
Z R
ZR
Dudvarski
Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics,School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
I A
IA
Soldatovic
School of Medicine,University of Belgrade,Belgrade,Serbia.
N A
NA
Arsovic
D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D009666:Nose; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
D009569:Nitric Oxide
Allergic; Nitric Oxide; Nose; Perennial; Reproducibility of Results; Rhinitis