NITRIC-OXIDE (NO) PRODUCTION IN THE UPPER AIRWAYS IS DECREASED IN CHRONIC SINUSITIS

The nasal concentration of nitric oxide (NO) was measured by chemilumi nescence in healthy volunteers 3-68 years of age, and in patients suff ering from common cold and chronic sinusitis. The concentration of NO in healthy subjects, 233.2 +/- 66.8 ppb (mean +/- SD), was found to be relatively independent of age and body size. The measured levels of N O did not differ between healthy volunteers and common cold patients, but they were significantly lower in patients suffering from chronic s inusitis, 96.4 +/- 72.8 ppb. As NO is a regulator of mucociliary activ ity and has bacteriostatic and antiviral effects, the decreased concen tration of NO in patients suffering from sinusitis suggests that lack of NO may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. The importan ce of NO for the mucociliary system was emphasized by the finding that the 2 patients with the lowest nasal concentration of NO were found t o manifest functional and morphological changes of the mucociliary sys tem that are typical of acquired mucociliary dysfunction.