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Exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children and adolescents after nasal allergen challenge
Author(s) -
Pedroletti Christophe,
Lundahl Joachim,
Alving Kjell,
Hedlin Gunilla
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00200.x
Subject(s) - medicine , eosinophil cationic protein , exhaled nitric oxide , asthma , immunology , eosinophil , allergen , nasal lavage , provocation test , allergic inflammation , nitric oxide , inflammation , allergy , nasal administration , pathology , spirometry , alternative medicine
Epidemiological data suggest a comorbidity link between nasal and bronchial allergic disease. Exhaled nitric oxide (F E NO) is a sensitive marker of bronchial inflammation and increases after bronchial allergen provocation. We studied F E NO in 19 children and adolescents with allergic asthma and 10 controls before and 2, 6 and 24 h after a single nasal allergen challenge. The correlation between F E NO and other markers of allergic inflammation, such as eosinophils in blood and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in serum and nasal lavage was also assessed. F E NO remained unchanged 24 h post‐challenge in both steroid and steroid‐naïve patients. At 6 h post‐challenge, F E NO decreased in both asthmatics and controls. The asthmatic subjects showed a positive correlation between F E NO and blood eosinophils before (r = 0.71, p = 0.001) and after the challenge, and between F E NO and ECP in nasal lavage (r = 0.62, p = 0.02) 2 h after the challenge. Mean ECP in nasal lavage increased post‐challenge but not significantly. We conclude that a single nasal allergen challenge does not augment bronchial inflammation although F E NO, is related to blood eosinophil count and to the nasal inflammatory response. Our data do not support the theory of a direct transmission of the nasal inflammation to the lower airways.