ARTICLE –
abstractExhaled
nitric oxide in athletes admitted to a Pediatric Department Radu Diaconu1, Dragos Valceanu2, Carmen Diaconu3 1 Pediatrics Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova, Romania 2Filantropia Municipal Hospital, Craiova, Romania 3Sports Medicine Department, Emergency Clinical Hospital, Craiova, Romania
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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