Exhaled nitric oxide in athletes admitted to a Pediatric Department

Abstract

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is the most accessible marker of bronchial inflammation, and may be a useful tool in sports medicine.
The aim of our study was to evaluate the bronchial inflammation in the pediatric athletes admitted to our department and to correlate it to the atopic status and type of sport.
Methods. We enrolled 127 athletes from our region and compared them with 100 control children without competitive background. We performed clinical examination, followed by FeNO testing and pulmonary function test (spirometry).
Results. The spirometric data showed no difference between groups. FeNO levels were higher in the study group 16.05± 8.97 ppB, versus 13.02 ± 9.40 ppB in controls, p = 0.014 (t test). The stratified analysis showed increased FeNO in children practicing indoor compared to outdoor sports, especially in those without history of allergy.
Conclusion. Practicing indoor sports seemed to be related to a higher level of exhaled nitric oxide which is already known as a predictor for atopic diseases (mainly asthma).

Key words:

exhaled nitric oxide, sports, children

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