Monitoring nitric oxide: here to stay for bench and bedside

Abstract

This editorial accompanies the publication, on April 15, 2005, of a joint American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement, which focuses on the measurement of exhaled and nasal nitric oxide (NO) 1. This statement is an excellent example of collaboration between the two societies to produce a document of great relevance to researchers and clinicians alike. For the societies, the publication of recommendations in specific areas of practice is perhaps the best example of how these organisations lead to practical outcomes. NO is an essential biological mediator of both physiological and pathological processes 2. Its pivotal role in central and peripheral neurotransmission and smooth muscle relaxation is well established, while NO is also a mediator of inflammation and a player in oxidative stress pathways. Its net effect is probably a balance between its physiological and pathological roles, while, for our purposes, it serves as a marker for these processes. Groups of researchers from many countries produced separate guidelines for the measurement of exhaled and nasal NO, which appeared in the European Respiratory Journal in 1997 3, and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in 1999 4. The current document consolidates and builds upon these efforts. A separate ATS/ERS statement …