Study of nitric oxide levels in the serum of patients with bronchial asthma

Abstract

This preliminary research article is dedicated to the determination of nitric oxide (NO) levels in the serum of patients with bronchial asthma (BA). Nitric oxide plays an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma, as it contributes to bronchoconstriction and stimulates the production of inflammatory mediators, thereby exacerbating the disease. The study included 41 participants, comprising patients with BA of varying disease control categories (controlled, partially controlled, and uncontrolled asthma) as well as individuals without a diagnosis of BA (control group). The NO level was measured using the “Nitric Oxide (total)” assay kit (ADI-917-020) from Enzo Life Sciences Inc. (USA). The results demonstrated that serum NO levels in patients with BA were significantly elevated, approximately 1.34 times compared to the control group (p = 0.001). Additionally, the concentration of nitric oxide was analyzed according to sex and age. A statistically significant difference was found between women older than 65 years and those younger (p = 0.0347). When comparing serum NO concentrations between partially controlled and uncontrolled asthma groups with the control group, NO levels were elevated by 1.31 times and 1.42 times, respectively (p = 0.0355 and p = 0.0033). ROC analysis of nitric oxide levels for the diagnosis of bronchial asthma revealed acceptable diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.6932; p = 0.013). Thus, the determination of nitric oxide concentration in the serum of patients with bronchial asthma may play an important role in diagnosis and could serve as a potential biomarker of the disease.