Exhaled and nasal nitric oxide in laryngectomized patients

Interleukin-13 stimulates production of nitric oxide in cultured human nasal epithelium

The diversity and extent of signaling functions of nitric oxide (NO) in cell physiology as well as its presence and influence as a common component of ambient air pollution and tobacco smoke are gaining increasing research attention relative to both health and disease. While cellular NO production is typically associated with inflammatory cells and processes, the airway epithelium particularly of the paranasal sinuses, has been documented to be a rich source of excreted NO. Inasmuch as excreted NO derives from both mucosal and inflammatory cell sources, distinguishing the individual contribution of these compartments to total excreted cellular NO is potentially problematic. We simulated an inflammatory mucosal environment by stimulating human nasal epithelial cultures with interleukin-13 (IL-13), a mediator produced by eosinophils in asthma, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. While a consistent baseline of NO excretion in control cultures was documented, widely variable individual responses to IL-13 exposure were observed in companion cultures maintained under identical conditions and tested at the same time. These studies suggest that cellular NO excretion by the healthy epithelial mucosa is subject to considerable individual variability and may be significantly elevated among some individuals in the presence of IL-13 stimulation.

Normal values of nasal NO and exhaled NO in young Chinese people aged 9 - 22 years

Objective

To assess the normal levels of nasal nitric oxide (NNO) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in healthy Chinese young people, and to determine whether the obtained values were associated with age, sex, height, weight, BMI (body mass index) or BSA (body surface area).

Methods

One hundred and twenty healthy people were selected from a total of 436 Chinese young people based on their answers to a questionnaire. An electrochemical analyzer (NIOX MINO system) was used to measure NNO and FENO. The relationship between NNO, FENO and age, sex, height, weight, BMI, BSA was analyzed using SPSS software.

Results

The values of NNO were normal distributed (mean 273.5 ppb; SD 112.3). The values of FENO were non-normally (Skewed) distributed (median: 14.00 ppb; interquartile range: 7.00 ppb). The obtained NNO values were independent of age, sex, height, weight, BMI and BSA, but were positively correlated to lnFENO (FENO log base e); lnFENO values were also independent of age, height, weight, BMI and BSA, but correlated with NNO and sex.

Conclusions

NNO values positively correlate with lnFENO in healthy people and the levels of each may be predicted by the other. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for future studies in China.