2010 Volume 24 Issue 5 Pages 719-724
To investigate the pathophysiology of elevated FENO in three children of 11 to 13 years of age with well controlled asthma, assessment of airflow reversibility after prednisolone treatment for 7 days were underwent.
All cases were also suffering from allergic rhinitis and dermatitis and their blood examination revealed increase in serum IgE and blood eosiophils.
Case 1 showed no remarkable airflow reversibility after prednisolone therapy inspite of significant decreased in FENO. Case 2 and 3 showed apparant airflow reversibility in distal airway after prednisolone therapy along with decrease in FENO.
One of the reason for discrepancy between well controlled asthma and high FENO may be derived from distal airway narrowing caused by persistent eosinophilic inflammation.
Assessment of airflow reversibility after prednisolone therapy is considered one of usefull tools for investigating the pathophysiology of high FENO in asymptomatic asthma children with normal pulmonary function.
