Determinación de la concentración de óxido nítrico alveolar en aire espirado: procedimiento y valores de referencia en personas sanas

Nitric oxide (NO) production has been described using a 2-compartment model for the synthesis and movement of NO in both the alveoli and the airways. The alveolar concentration of NO (CaNO), an indirect marker of the inflammatory state of the distal portions of the lung, can be deduced through exhalation at multiple flow rates. Our objective was to determine reference values for CaNO. The fraction of exhaled NO (FeNO) was measured in 33 healthy individuals at a rate of 50 mL/s; the subjects then exhaled at 10, 30, 100, and 200 mL/s to calculate CaNO. A chemiluminescence analyzer (NIOX Aerocrine) was used to perform the measurements. The mean (SD) FeNO was 15 (6) ppb. The mean CaNO was 3.04 (1.30) ppb. These values of CaNO measured in healthy individuals will allow us to analyze alveolar inflammatory behavior in respiratory and systemic processes.