Author:
Vanneste H.,Derom E.,Brusselle G.,Joos G.
Abstract
FeNO, an overview
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease and unfortunately a lot of patients still do not achieve disease control. Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule which is produced in the lungs and acts as a neurotransmitter, a smooth muscle relaxator and inflammatory mediator. So, measurement of exhaled NO (FeNO) gives us information about the airway environment. In this narrative paper we like to give an overview on FeNO and its clinical application as a non-invasive marker in asthma patients. The interpretation of FeNO is not always easy since there are several influencing factors. Nonetheless it can help distinguish certain endotypes in asthma to optimize treatment by predicting response on corticoids and biologicals, and it can be used in follow-up of asthma.