Is nitric oxide involved in the pathophysiology of essential hyperhidrosis?

BACKGROUND

Essential hyperhidrosis (EH) is a disorder of excessive, bilateral, and relatively symmetric sweating occurring in the axillae, palms, soles, or craniofacial region without obvious etiology. The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in eccrine clear cells, reported by an immunohistochemical technique, has suggested that nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in the physiology of production and/or excretion of sweat in the human skin eccrine gland.

AIM: To determine plasma NO levels in patients with EH and healthy controls.

METHODS

We assessed the levels of plasma NO in patients with EH (n = 31) in comparison with those in age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 28). Total nitrite (nitrite + nitrate) was measured by a spectrophotometer at 545 nm after the conversion of nitrate to nitrite by copperized cadmium granules.

RESULTS

Plasma NO levels were found to be significantly increased in EH patients in comparison with the control group (P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate a possible role of increased plasma NO levels in the pathophysiology of EH.