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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: chest.07-1177v1 133/1/169    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kovesi, T. Articles by Dales, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kovesi, T. Articles by Dales, R.

Exhaled Nitric Oxide Concentration is affected by Age, Height, and Race in Healthy 9 to 12 Year Old Children

E-mail address: Kovesi@cheo.on.ca, Dept. of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; E-mail address: ryan_kulka@hc-sc.gc.ca, Air Health Effects Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada; E-mail address: rdales@ohri.ca, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada

kovesi{at}cheo.on.ca

Abstract

Background: The fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a useful indicator of airway inflammation in children and adults with asthma.

Methods: We determined the range of FeNO concentrations and the factors affecting it in a large sample of healthy school children attending grades 4 through 6, in Windsor, Canada.

Results: FeNO was measured in 657 children between 9.1 and 12.9 years of age. The range of FeNO concentrations in healthy school children was 12.7 parts per billion (ppb) (95% confidence interval 11.8 - 13.7 ppb) in Caucasians and 22.8 ppb (95% confidence interval 17.9 – 27.7 ppb) in Asian-Canadian children (p < 0.001 for the difference). FeNO values also appeared to be higher in Canadian-African children than in Caucasians, although the confidence interval was wide because of the small number of Canadian-African children sampled. FeNO rose slightly, but significantly with age (p = 0.007) and with height (p = 0.023). Body mass index and gender did not significantly alter measured FeNO. Forced Vital Capacity had a non-significant effect on FeNO. Participation in physical activity during the same day had a borderline-significant effect on measured FeNO, but a reported history of a respiratory tract infection in the preceding 2 weeks did not.

Conclusions: FeNO concentrations in healthy school aged children appeared to be affected by race, and, to a lesser extent, by age and height. These factors should be taken into consideration when interpreting clinical results.

Key Words: Nitric Oxide • Reference Values • Child • Asthma • Breath Tests • Growth • Continental Population Groups • Asian Continental Ancestry Group