Induced sputum and exhaled nitric oxide as noninvasive markers of airway inflammation from work exposures

Abstract

Increasing evidence supports the use of induced sputum as an additional tool in the investigation of occupational asthma. The role of exhaled nitric oxide in the investigation of occupational asthma needs to be clarified due to conflicting evidence reported in the literature.

New-onset adult asthma in relation to damp and moldy workplaces

“…In the diagnostics of OA, serial PEF recordings have a fairly high sensitivity and speciWcity when tested against speciWc challenge tests (Lemiere 2007;Newman Taylor et al 2004). Acceptable serial PEF records are possible for about two-thirds of those for whom OA is being considered (Lemiere 2007).…”

Exposure to poultry dust and health effects in poultry workers: impact of mould and mite allergens

“…In the present study, the evaluation of respiratory health was limited to spirometry and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, which are rather crude biomarkers of airway inflammation. More sensitive methods capable of detecting early, subclinical inflammatory changes in the airways, such as airway responsiveness, induced sputum analysis, exhaled nitric oxide or exhaled breath condensate analysis, would probably reveal more distinctive results on respiratory health in poultry workers (Rylander and Carvalheiro 2006;Lemiere 2007;Do et al 2008;Fireman et al 2008).…”

Determination of Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensate: A Perspective Way in Bronchial Asthma Diagnostics

“…However, it has the disadvantage that, despite the induction of sputum by hypertonic saline, some people do not produce a satisfactory sample of sputum for analysis. Multiple studies reported eosinophils increase after a bronchoprovocation test (Lemiere, 2007). Exhaled nitric oxide could be another helpful marker in occupational asthma diagnosis.…”