Measurement of nitric oxide (NO) or a suitable index marker such as nitrite could potentially be used in the diagnosis of various vascular diseases. Among its many functions, nitric oxide plays important roles in ischemia/reperfusion injury. Nitrite has recently been found to generate nitric oxide under conditions of ischemia or hypoxia. Research into the biology of the nitrite anion may impact a wide range of vascular diseases, such as stroke, acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, sepsis, or other diseases. As nitrite begins to be evaluated for its therapeutic impact on these diseases in clinical trials, it may be important to obtain frequent or continuous measurements of NO or nitrite levels in real time in order to optimize such therapies. In addition, if nitrite therapy becomes successful in these trials, it may become necessary to provide clinicians with tools to monitor the effect of such therapy in real time. As clinical investigations are initiated for nitrite therapy for indications such as cardiac arrest, sepsis, and acute myocardial infarction, among others, the ability to monitor nitrite in real time has the potential to significantly improve the efficacy of the trials, as titration of nitrite could be performed, unlike with conventional measurement techniques.
Last date updated on December, 2024