Low plasma nitrite in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis patients

There is now substantial evidence that reduced expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is implicated in the pathogenesis of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS). This study aimed to investigate the role of plasma nitric oxide (NO) in patients with IHPS. Blood and pylorous biopsies of 13 IHPS patients were examined. The control group consisted of 19 age-matched healthy infants and 22 age-matched acute gastroenteritis patients. Plasma nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) levels were detected with an NO analyzer. Pylorus biopsies of 13 IHPS patients were examined for nitric oxide synthase isoform expression. Plasma nitrite levels in the 13 IHPS patients were significantly lower than in the age-matched healthy controls (0.97 +/- 0.19 vs. 3.53 +/- 0.79 mu M; P < 0.001) and the acute gastroenteritis controls (0.97 +/- 0.19 vs.1.39 +/- 0.45 mu M; P = 0.006). Decreased expression of nNOS in the nerve fibers of the pylorus circular muscle was found in the 13 IHPS patients. The decreased plasma nitrite levels rose to the normal range (3.27 +/- 0.77 M) after pyloromyotomy. There was no significant correlation between plasma nitrite levels and muscle wall thickness in IHPS patients. We conclude that NO is implicated in the occurrence of IHPS and the plasma nitrite level is valuable for the diagnosis of IHPS.