Nitric oxide helps predict asthma relapse

Measuring the level of nitric oxide in the breath of children whose asthma is in remission can predict the likeliness of its relapse. Exhaled nitric oxide is thought to reflect the degree of inflammation in the airways. Researchers from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam report this as the first to show nitric oxide concentration as a relapse marker in children who are no longer taking inhaled corticosteroids. There is no way to predict whether asthma will relapse in children who stop inhaled steroids after they have been symptom-free for longer than 6 months while on low-dose steroids. To investigate the potential role of exhaled nitric oxide in predicting asthma relapse in children, the researchers studied 40 children with asthma in remission. They measured nitric oxide in the children's breath before they stopped taking steroids and 2, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after stopping.Among the nine patients who eventually experienced a relapse, exhaled nitric oxide levels were higher at 2 and 4 weeks after stopping steroids compared with those who did not relapse.The findings suggest that forced exhaled nitric oxide measurements at 2 and 4 weeks after cessation of steroids are helpful for identifying children in whom relapse of asthma is more likely to occur and who might benefit from a close follow-up.