摘要: Background Atopy is a genetically determined condition and some atopic people develop airway hyperresponsiveness sometimes asthma later in life. Since inflammation may be present before the onset of clinical symptoms asthma, early noninvasive detection would useful subjects. Mediators produced by activated inflammatory cells lead to induction inducible nitric oxide synthase producing (NO) heme oxygenase releasing carbon monoxide (CO) airways. Both monoxides are exhaled air their levels elevated reflecting inflammation. Objective We have measured NO CO nonatopic healthy non-smoking subjects determine whether airways. Methods Exhaled was chemiluminescence analyser electrochemically asymptomatic age-matched normal subjects. Results Exhaled were both significantly 15 compared with 40 individuals (means ± sem: 18.3 ± 3.0 p.p.b. vs 6.3 0.3 p.p.b., P < 0.0001 4.7 0.3 p.p.m. 2.8 0.2 p.p.m., P = 0.0005, respectively). Conclusion Increase an marker