Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide is higher in liver transplant recipients than in controls from the general population: a cohort study

BACKGROUND: Fraction of exhaled nitric oxide with an expiratory flow of 50 mL/s (F ENO 50) is a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Liver transplant recipients have an increased risk of pulmonary infections, but little is known about the burden of chronic pulmonary diseases in this group. We aimed to assess the prevalence of elevated F ENO 50 in liver transplant recipients and compare it to controls from the general population.

METHODS: F ENO 50 was measured in 271 liver transplant recipients from The Danish Comorbidity in Liver Transplant Recipients (DACOLT) study and 1,018 age- and sex-matched controls from The Copenhagen General Population Study (CGPS). Elevated F ENO 50 was defined as ≥25 or ≥50 parts per billion (ppb). The analyses were adjusted for known and suspected confounders.

RESULTS: The median age of the liver transplant recipients was 55 years (interquartile range (IQR) 46-64), and 58% were men. The liver transplant recipients had a higher median F ENO 50 than the controls [16 ppb (IQR 10-26) vs. 13 ppb (IQR 8-18.), p < 0.001]. Furthermore, the liver transplant recipients had a higher prevalence of elevated F ENO 50 (for F ENO 50 ≥25 ppb 27% vs. 11%, p < 0.001 and ≥50 ppb 4% vs. 2%, p = 0.02). The results were similar after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, use of airway medication, and blood eosinophil counts [the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for F ENO 50 ≥25 ppb was 3.58 (95% CI: 2.50-5.15, p < 0.0001) and the adjusted OR for F ENO 50 ≥50 ppb was 3.14 (95% CI: 1.37-7.20, p = 0.007)].

CONCLUSION: The liver transplant recipients had elevated F ENO 50, implying increased eosinophilic airway inflammation. The clinical impact of this finding needs further investigation.