Nasal nitric oxide concentration in paranasal sinus inflammatory diseases

In normal upper airways, nitric oxide is generated by the paranasal sinus e pithelium and then diffuses into the nasal cavities. This study examined wh ether or not nasal NO concentration is affected by paranasal sinus inflamma tory diseases. The influence of obstruction (nasal polyposis) and/or inflammation (allergy or chronic sinusitis) of the paranasal sinuses on nasal NO concentration w as evaluated in nasal allergic (n=7 patients) or nonallergic (n=20) polypos is, nonallergic chronic sinusitis (n=10) and Kartagener's syndrome (n=6) an d compared with control subjects (n=42). A score of alteration of the paran asal sinus (number of altered and occluded sinuses) was determined by a com puted tomography scan. The nasal NO concentration in nasal nonallergic polyposis (150+/- 20 parts per billion (ppb)) was significantly decreased compared with both controls (223+/-6 ppb, p=0.01) and polyposis with allergy (272+/-28 ppb, p<0.0001), In each group, the nasal NO concentration was inversely correlated with the extent of tomodensitometric alteration of the paranasal sinuses. In Kartag ener's syndrome, the nasal NO concentration (14+/-2 ppb) was drastically de creased compared with all other groups, despite the presence of open parana sal sinuses. Thus, the nasal NO concentration in patients with nasal polyposis appeared to be dependent on both the allergic status and the degree of obstruction o f the paranasal sinuses.