Exhaled nitric oxide and urinary EPX levels in infants: a pilot study

Clinical and Molecular Allergy

Mikael Hasselgren³  Anna-Carin Olin¹  Carl-Gustaf Bornehag²  Dagmara Lazowska⁴  Fredrik Carlstedt⁴ 

[1] Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden;Public Health Science, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden;Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;Primary Care Research Centre, County Council of Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden

关键词: Allergy and Immunology;    Housing;    Infant;    Eosinophil Granule Proteins;    Nitric Oxide;   

Others  :  790764
DOI  :  10.1186/1476-7961-9-8

 received in 2011-01-27, accepted in 2011-05-16,  发布年份 2011

【 摘 要 】

Background

Objective markers of early airway inflammation in infants are not established but are of great interest in a scientific setting. Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and urinary eosinophilic protein X (uEPX) are a two such interesting markers.

Objective

To investigate the feasibility of measuring FeNO and uEPX in infants and their mothers and to determine if any relations between these two variables and environmental factors can be seen in a small sample size. This was conducted as a pilot study for the ongoing Swedish Environmental Longitudinal Mother and child Asthma and allergy study (SELMA).

Methods

Consecutive infants between two and six months old and their mothers at children's health care centres were invited, and 110 mother-infant pairs participated. FeNO and uEPX were analysed in both mothers and infants. FeNO was analyzed in the mothers online by the use of the handheld Niox Mino device and in the infants offline from exhaled air sampled during tidal breathing. A 33-question multiple-choice questionnaire that dealt with symptoms of allergic disease, heredity, and housing characteristics was used.

Results

FeNO levels were reduced in infants with a history of upper respiratory symptoms during the previous two weeks (p < 0.002). There was a trend towards higher FeNO levels in infants with windowpane condensation in the home (p < 0.05). There was no association between uEPX in the infants and the other studied variables.

Conclusion

The use of uEPX as a marker of early inflammation was not supported. FeNO levels in infants were associated to windowpane condensation. Measuring FeNO by the present method may be an interesting way of evaluating early airway inflammation. In a major population study, however, the method is difficult to use, for practical reasons.

【 授权许可】

   
2011 Carlstedt et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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