Diagnostic value of exhaled nitric oxide in childhood asthma and allergy

Sachs-Olsen C, Lodrup Carlsen KC, Mowinckel P, Haland G, Devulapalli CS, Munthe-Kaas MC, Carlsen K-H. Diagnostic value of exhaled nitric oxide in childhood asthma and allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: e213–e221. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) has been proposed as a diagnostic test of asthma. We aimed to investigate in a population based birth cohort of children the usefulness of FENO as a diagnostic tool. The 10-yr follow up of the Environment and Childhood Asthma Study in Oslo included 616 children representative of the prospective birth cohort. Both FENO (single breath technique) and skin prick test (SPT) were measured in 331, limited at the time by equipment availability. Structural parental interview, spirometry, methacholine challenge and exercise test were performed. FENO was significantly elevated in children with current asthma (geometric mean 9.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) (6.9, 13.4) p.p.b.) compared with healthy children (5.8 (5.4, 6.3) p.p.b.; p