'Inflammometrie' met stikstofmonoxide in uitademingslucht: een nieuw onderzoek bij longaandoeningen

- The gas nitric oxide (NO) is produced in increased amounts in certain types of inflammatory responses and its presence in exhaled air can be demonstrated.

- The nitric oxide fraction in exhaled air (F_eNO) is elevated in patients with asthma and lowered in the case of several other lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia.

- The F_eNO can be quickly measured in a non-invasive and reproducible manner: on-line if the patient (adult or child), having taken a deep breath in, breathes out with a low flow rate into the NO measuring device or off-line if the expired air is collected in an NO inert reservoir.

- Confounding factors are contamination of inhaled air with ambient NO and contamination of exhaled air with NO that has been produced in the paranasal sinuses and the nose.

- The possible applications of F_eNO measurement as a new lung function test include diagnostic tests for chronic respiratory symptoms and the possible guidance of anti-inflammatory therapy for asthma and, perhaps, other respiratory disorders.