Relevance of Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels to Asthma Control Test Scores and Spirometry Values in Children with Atopic Asthma / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been proposed as a tool for assessing airway inflammation in patients with atopic asthma. We evaluated the relationship between FeNO with asthma control test (ACT) scores and spirometry values in children with atopic asthma. METHODS: One hundred twenty-six children with atopic asthma, 8-16 years of age, were included in the study. None of the participants received regular controller therapy for at least 4 weeks before the study. The ACT (for children >12 years of age) or the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT; for children between the ages of 8 and 11 years of age), FeNO measurements and pulmonary function tests were performed. RESULTS: The geometric mean of the FeNO in children with atopic asthma (16.1 parts per billion [ppb]; 95% CI, 14.5-17.8 ppb) was significantly higher than that healthy controls (7.5 ppb; 95% CI, 7.0-8.1 ppb; P 20 in 82% of enrolled patients and correlated with the %FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and %FEF25-75. However, FeNO was not related to %FEV1, FEV1/FVC, %FEF25-75, and scores for asthma controls. FeNO levels in asthmatic children were not significantly different with respect to age, gender, BMI, and tobacco exposure. CONCLUSION: FeNO was not related to the spirometry values and scores for asthma control. Measurement of FeNO may be a complementary tool in the assessment of asthma control.