UNLABELLED: Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) concentration measurement may allow for noninvasive estimation of severity of airways inflammation in respiratory tract diseases. Exhaled nitric oxide concentration is a sensitive marker of bronchial inflammation in asthma. The purpose of this study was: to evaluate eNO concentration in patients with COPD and bronchiectasis; to evaluate correlation between eNO concentration and the degree of airways obstruction in patients with COPD as well as correlation between eNO and extent of bronchiectasis in HRCT; to evaluate the effect of smoking on eNO concentration in COPD group. There were two groups of patients and the control group. The first group consisted of 20 patients with COPD (17 men, 3 women aged 41-68 yr). Ten patients were ex-smokers, and ten were current smokers. The second group consisted of 15 nonsmokers (10 men, 5 women aged 45-72 yr) with the diagnosis of bronchiectasis based on high-resolution CT criteria. The control group consisted of 11 healthy, nonsmoking subjects who had no respiratory disease or allergy, aged 28-52 years. Exhaled NO was measured by means of SIEVERS 280 Nitric Oxide Analyser (Boulder, Colorado, USA). RESULTS: The highest eNO concentration was found in patients with bronchiectasis (9.83 ppb +/- 3.09; median 8.0). It was significantly elevated compared to the values found in patients with COPD (5.3 ppb +/- 0.57, median 4.46; p = 0.002) or in the control group (5.17 ppb +/- 0.73, median 4.32; p = 0.007). Ex-smokers with COPD had higher eNO levels (6.3 ppb +/- 0.73; median 5.7) than did active smokers with COPD (4.3 ppb +/- 0.80; median 3.39; p = 0.017). Exhaled NO did not differ between exsmokers and healthy nonsmokers. There was no correlation between eNO and number of packyears (r = -0.022; p = 0.928). The extent of bronchiectasis expressed as CT score did not correlate with eNO concentration. There was also no significant relationship between eNO and FEV1 (r = -0.046; p = 0.87).
UNLABELLED: Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) concentration measurement may allow for noninvasive estimation of severity of airways inflammation in respiratory tract diseases. Exhaled nitric oxide concentration is a sensitive marker of bronchial inflammation in asthma. The purpose of this study was: to evaluate eNO concentration in patients with COPD and bronchiectasis; to evaluate correlation between eNO concentration and the degree of airways obstruction in patients with COPD as well as correlation between eNO and extent of bronchiectasis in HRCT; to evaluate the effect of smoking on eNO concentration in COPD group. There were two groups of patients and the control group. The first group consisted of 20 patients with COPD (17 men, 3 women aged 41-68 yr). Ten patients were ex-smokers, and ten were current smokers. The second group consisted of 15 nonsmokers (10 men, 5 women aged 45-72 yr) with the diagnosis of bronchiectasis based on high-resolution CT criteria. The control group consisted of 11 healthy, nonsmoking subjects who had no respiratory disease or allergy, aged 28-52 years. Exhaled NO was measured by means of SIEVERS 280 Nitric Oxide Analyser (Boulder, Colorado, USA). RESULTS: The highest eNO concentration was found in patients with bronchiectasis (9.83 ppb +/- 3.09; median 8.0). It was significantly elevated compared to the values found in patients with COPD (5.3 ppb +/- 0.57, median 4.46; p = 0.002) or in the control group (5.17 ppb +/- 0.73, median 4.32; p = 0.007). Ex-smokers with COPD had higher eNO levels (6.3 ppb +/- 0.73; median 5.7) than did active smokers with COPD (4.3 ppb +/- 0.80; median 3.39; p = 0.017). Exhaled NO did not differ between exsmokers and healthy nonsmokers. There was no correlation between eNO and number of packyears (r = -0.022; p = 0.928). The extent of bronchiectasis expressed as CT score did not correlate with eNO concentration. There was also no significant relationship between eNO and FEV1 (r = -0.046; p = 0.87).