알레르기 비염에서 비강 및 호기 산화질소

Abstract

Background : Nitric oxide(NO) is known to be important mediator and inflammatory marker of human airway. The purpose of this study was to assess whether we can use the levels of nasal NO(nNO) and exhaled NO(eNO) as a tool of evaluation in allergic rhinitis patients.

Material and Method : We used chemiluminescent analyser to measure nNO and eNO between normal controls(34) and allergic rhinitis patients(35), and compared it with various clinical symptom parameters and laboratory data.

Results : In normal controls, mean nNO was 276±88ppb, mean eNO was 33.0±24.0 ppb. In allergic rhinitis patients, both nNO(389±119ppb) and eNO(64.8±55.9ppb) was statistically significantly higher than normal controls. Especially, eNO was statistically significantly related to rhinorrhea, sneezing, and sum of allergic symptom score, but nNO showed no statistical relationship.

Conclusion : Allergic rhinitis patients had higher nNO and eNO. nNO can be checked as reduced when the symptoms are severe and have longer duration in spite of higher production. eNO can be influenced by atopic tendency like allergic rhinitis and we have to assess the presence of allergic rhinitis when we use eNO as a clinical marker for asthma.