STUDY OF NITRIC OXIDE METABOLITES IN INDUCED SPUTUM IN ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is the most frequently encountered chronic illness m the pediatric age. In childhood asthma, problems in diagnosing or monitoring disease activity may occur because of non specific symptoms as well as the inability to obtain reliable pulmonary function and provocation tests. Thus, monitoring by the assessment of mediators reflecting pulmonary inflammation could support an optimal management of childhood asthma. Several mediators of asthma have been investigated. Nitric oxide :is one of the most important mediators of vascular and bronchial tone that is postulated to be involved in asthma. Also it is one of many mediators that can amplify the airway inflammatory response and that play important roles in airway damage.

The mm of this study was to measure and assess the usefulness of nitric oxide metabolites levels in induced sputum as a marker for monitoring the degree of airway inflammation in asthmatic patients.

The study was conducted on 30 asthmatic children during an asthma exacerbation aged from 85-171 months presented to the outpatient and Emergency Department of Alexandria University Children's Hospital at EL-Shatby.