Exhaled nitric oxide is not increased in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation and nitrosative stress. Previous studies have suggested a possible role of FeNO in the management of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, but published data are discordant. OBJECTIVES To assess the clinical usefulness of FeNO and alveolar concentration of NO (CalvNO) in sarcoidosis. METHODS We measured FeNO50-100-150 and CalvNO in 31 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, 32 patients affected by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and 30 healthy controls. RESULTS Sarcoidosis group reported FeNO50-100-150 and CalvNO levels comparable to healthy controls, while IPF patients showed significantly higher values of FeNO50-100-150 and CalvNO than sarcoidosis (all p<0.05) and controls groups (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION Exhaled nitric oxide is not a useful biomarker in the management of patients affected by pulmonary sarcoidosis.