Association of exhaled nitric oxide with ethnicity and sex in rural Georgia youth

Nitric oxide is produced by the human bronchial epithelium1 and is associated with airway eosinophilic inflammation seen in patients with asthma and other airway diseases.2 Airway inflammation is a characteristic of asthma, along with airway hyperresponsiveness and airway obstruction. Inhaled corticosteroids to treat the inflammation are a mainstay of asthma treatment. Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) as a biomarker of eosinophilic inflammation is noninvasive, safe, reproducible, and easy to perform; however, the clinical value of measurements has been limited by imprecise reference ranges.
Source: Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Letter Source Type: research