[Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) in asthma patients with acute exacerbation].

In recent years there has been an upsurge in interest in exhaled markers of inflammation, and nitric oxide (NO) in particular. The aim of the study was to evaluate the exhaled NO in monitoring anti-inflammatory therapy in asthma patients with acute exacerbation. The study was conducted in the group of 12 asthma patients, during acute asthma exacerbation treated with oral corticosteroids. NO was measured in exhaled air by means of chemiluminescence (model 280i nitric oxide analyzer, Sievers Instruments, Inc, USA. During 15 days of study a significant decrease in exhaled NO was observed. In our study the improvement of this inflammation marker correlated with clinical markers of disease control (the need for rescue beta 2-agonist use). The significant decrease in exhaled NO was started long before than increase in spirometric parameters. Treatment of airway inflammation in asthma with systemic and inhaled corticosteroids reduces levels of NO in exhaled air. Measurement of exhaled NO is non-invasive, safe and causes no inconvenience to the patients' method to monitoring of anti-inflammatory therapy.