The clinical significance of diagnosis and therapy in patients with adult bronchial asthma by fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of exhaled nitric oxide in the diagnosis and therapy of bronchial asthma. Methods From January 2016 to December 2017, 87 patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma in Luoyang Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University were selected as asthma group , and 40 healthy people were selected as healthy control group at the same term.The levels of FeNO, FEV1/pred, peripheral blood EOS count, ACT score, percentage of sputum EOS were measured. Results The positive rate of FeNO was 56.3%(49/87) in the asthma group, which in the healthy control group was 5.0%(2/47). The fractional exhaled nitric oxide level of reexamined patients before treatment [(70.9±53.6)ppb] was higher than that after treatment[(12.2±8.7)ppb], and the difference was statistically significant(t=4.323, P=0.001). The fractional exhaled nitric oxide level in the asthma group [(42.4±42.5)ppb] was higher than that in the healthy control group [(9.4±5.8)ppb], and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(t=2.871, P=0.001). The fractional exhaled nitric oxide level was positively correlated with peripheral blood EOS count (r=0.376, P=0.000) and ACT score (r=0.361, P=0.001), but had no correlation with FEV1/pred (r=-0.111, P=0.306) and sputum EOS (r=-0.036, P=0.805). Conclusion The measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels has an important clinical significance in the diagnosis of bronchial asthma.And it has a guiding significance for the evaluation of the therapeutic effect of bronchial asthma. Key words: Asthma; Nitric oxide; Respiratory function tests; Oxyphil cells; Granulocytes; Glucocorticoids; Adult