Predictive Value of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in the Diagnosis of Asthma for Epidemiological Purposes—An 8-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

At the population level, respiratory symptoms in children can be estimated cross-sectionally. However, such methods require additional objective support parameters, such as the measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). The aim of the present study was to analyze if the FeNO value measured at baseline can have a predictive value for asthma-like symptoms after 8 years of measurement. Methods: The follow-up included 128 (out of 447) children, 70 girls and 58 boys. The FeNO was measured at baseline only. The prevalence of asthma-like symptoms was measured with the adopted version of the ISAAC questionnaire. Results: After 8 years of FeNO measurement, 5 new cases of asthma, 2 cases of attacks of dyspnoea, 1 case of wheezy in the chest, and 18 cases of allergic rhinitis occurred. The FeNO values, measured at the baseline of the study, for new cases of the above diseases were 53.4 ± 75.9 ppb, 11 ± 1.5 ppb, 12.0 ppb, and 16.3 ± 12.4 ppb, respectively. The best diagnostic accuracy parameters were found in the new cases of asthma, where the sensitivity was 40.0%, the specificity was 98.6%, and the AUC was 66.6%. The diagnostic odds ratio was 46.9 when considering the FeNO cut-off >35 ppb. Conclusions: The FeNO measurement is a fair method for asthma prognosis in early school-aged children with asthma-like symptoms measured on the population level but requires further confirmation at the clinical level with more accurate diagnostic tools.