scholarly journals Serum and sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 in winter sports athletes and swimmers: relationships with airway function

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Bougault ◽  
Julie Turmel ◽  
Louis-Philippe Boulet
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Winter Sports ◽  
Baseline Serum ◽  
Winter Sport ◽  
Airway Function ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Lung Function Measurement ◽  
Skin Prick Tests ◽  
Annual Period

AbstractIntroductionCompetitive cross-country skiers and swimmers present characteristics of airway inflammation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix similar to what is observed in mild asthma. We aimed to compare serum and sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1, reflecting the balance between airway fibrogenesis and inflammation process, in swimmers and winter sport athletes, during the annual period of training resumption, and to observe its seasonal variations in winter sports athletes.MethodsCompetitive winter sports athletes (n=41), swimmers (n=25) and healthy nonathletes (n=8) had blood sampling, lung function measurement, skin prick tests, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea challenge, methacholine inhalation test (MIT), and induced sputum analysis. Twelve winter sport athletes performed the test during both summer and winter. Serum and sputum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured by ELISA.ResultsNo significant difference in baseline serum or sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was observed between the three groups, and no relationship was observed with airway function or responsiveness. Serum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was however significantly higher during the summer in winter sport athletes compared with winter season (median [Interquartile range]: 1.27 [0.97-1.62] during the winter and 3.65 [2.47-4.03] during the summer, p=0.005). Sputum MMP-9 correlated with Methacholine PC20 and serum CC16/SP-D ratio. No significant correlation was observed between serum values and lung function or responsiveness.ConclusionOur results suggest that although MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in sputum or serum was similar in our three groups of subjects, it may fluctuate according to the training season while sputum MMP-9 correlated with Methacholine PC20 and serum CC16/SP-D ratio, suggesting a link between airway responsiveness, epithelial damage and MMP-9 in the airways.

Sport Injury and Illness: Surveillance of Tropical Country Athletes during the 1st Winter Children of Asia Games

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (11) ◽  
pp. 1116-1120
Keyword(s):  
Sports Participation ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Tropical Country ◽  
Winter Sports ◽  
Winter Sport ◽  
Observational Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Competition Period ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
Type Of Injury

Background: The systematic surveillance of injuries and illness in young athletes is important to reduce the loss of training and competition time and enable continuing sports participation. However, the risk and incidence of injury and illness in tropical country athletes competing in winter sports remains unclear. Objective: To identify the incidence, severity, and causes of injuries and illness in the Thailand National Youth Team during the 10-day First Winter Children of Asia Games. Materials and Methods: In the present observational prospective cohort study, the authors used the International Olympic Committee (IOC) injury and illness surveillance system for multisport events. The injuries and illnesses of 18 Thailand athletes were collected daily by the team physician over a 10-day competition period. Results: Eight injuries and nine illnesses were reported, equating to 44.4% of the athletes sustaining at least one injury and 50% at least one illness, an incidence rate of 2.6 injuries and 7.3 illnesses per 100 athletes, respectively. The risk of sustaining an injury was highest during cross country skiing while the most common type of injury was a sprain. The upper respiratory tract was the site most affected by illness with females reporting a greater illness rate. Conclusion: The presented data constitute the basis for future analyses of injury and illness associated risk factors in winter sports, which are essential to develop and implement effective preventative strategies in tropical winter sport athletes. Keywords: Surveillance, Injury and illness, Winter sport

scholarly journals Comparative Tissue Responses of Marine Mollusks on Seasonal Changes in the Northern Adriatic Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2874
Author(s):  
Natalija Topić Popović ◽  
Martina Krbavčić ◽  
Josip Barišić ◽  
Blanka Beer Ljubić ◽  
Ivančica Strunjak-Perović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Antioxidant Defense ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Gonadal Maturation ◽  
Marine Mollusks ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tissue Responses ◽  
Antioxidant Defense Systems

In the shallow Northern Adriatic, marine mollusks are affected by bottom trawling and seafood disturbance. Seasonal oscillations of oceanographic factors additionally influence their physiology, stress responses and survival. Tissue responses to seasonal variations in green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata L.) and Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus L.) in the Northern Adriatic have not been reported. Hence, their biochemical and antioxidant defense properties over seasons were studied and the microanatomical structure of their tissue was correlated with function. Histological analysis of gonads revealed two peaks of gonadal maturation and spawning during the spring/summer period and winter season for scallops, and one peak during the fall for ormers. The gonadal maturation of both species was correlated with their seasonal variations of metabolic demands and antioxidant capacity. The lipid vacuoles of tubuloacinar terminations in the digestive gland differed between the two species; in scallop they are several-fold larger in size and number. Low temperatures in winter contributed to a decline in enzymatic antioxidant defense in scallop tissues, having lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and higher concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS). In ormers, winter induced lower TAS, TBARS, SOD and GPx concentrations. The significant difference of winter TAS and TBARS levels between ormers and scallops was correlated with variations in their reproductive cycles, as well as in antioxidant defense systems. The most important factor for stress-related parameters for both species in this work was found to be the season-induced temperature change.

scholarly journals POS0140 URATE-LOWERING THERAPY REDUCES NON-EPISODIC FOOT PAIN IN PATIENTS WHO FAIL TO MEET ACR/EULAR 2015 GOUT CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA: AN EFFECT PREDICTED BY ULTRASOUND

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 282.1-282
Author(s):  
R. Flood ◽  
C. Kirby ◽  
Y. Alammari ◽  
D. Kane ◽  
R. Mullan
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Serum Urate ◽  
Classification Criteria ◽  
Disease Classification ◽  
Foot Pain ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Baseline Serum ◽  
First Metatarsophalangeal Joint ◽  
Lowering Therapy ◽  
Significant Difference

Background:Emerging evidence that the joints of asymptomatic hyperuricaemic individuals contain monosodium urate (MSU) deposits and that alternative presentations of foot pain occur in hyperuricaemia suggests that preclinical phases may occur prior to a first episodic gout attack. (1) This case–control study evaluates urate deposition in hyperuricaemic individuals not fulfilling the current gout classification criteria, as well as a potential therapeutic role for urate lowering therapy (ULT).Objectives:To investigate whether ULT reduces non-episodic foot pain in patients who fail to meet ACR/EULAR 2015 gout classification criteria.Methods:Following informed consent, hyperuricaemic individuals with persistent, non-episodic foot pain (n=53) not fulfilling ACR/EULAR 2015 gout classification criteria, were compared with asymptomatic hyperuricaemic controls (n=18). Ultrasound (US) of bilateral first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints and features of MSU deposition including double contour (DC) sign, tophus and juxta-articular erosion were recorded. Cases only were treated with febuxostat or allopurinol daily for 6 months. Serum urate, 24-hour and 7-day visual analogue score (VAS) 0–100 mm pain scales and the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI) were recorded before treatment and after 3 and 6 months. MTP Ultrasound was repeated after a minimum of 6 months on treatment.Results:53 hyperuricaemic individuals with persistent, non-episodic foot pain not meeting the ACR/EULAR 2015 gout classification criteria were recruited. At baseline MTP US DC sign, erosion and tophus occurred in 62.5%, 20.8% and 49% of cases, respectively. No US features of gout occurred in controls. No significant difference was seen in baseline serum urate between cases (481±14 mg/dL) versus controls (437±14; p=NS). Serum urate in cases fell at 3 months (325±25; p<0.01) and 6 months (248±19; p<0.01). For cases, baseline 24-hour pain VAS (46±3.9) reduced at 3 months (32±4.1; p<0.05) and 6 months (21±5.2; p<0.05) of ULT. The 7-day pain VAS (59±3.9) decreased at 3 months (35±4.5; p<0.05) and 6 months (30±5.3; P<0.05). MFPDI (17±1.4) decreased at 3 month (13±1.8; p=<0.05) and 6 months (11±2.2; p=<0.05). When cases were grouped according to the presence (N=33) or absence (N=18) of DC sign on baseline US, no differences were observed for baseline pain scores. Following ULT however, 24-hour pain VAS were significantly lower in DC positive patients at 3 months (22±4.48 DC positive vs 42±6.14 DC negative; p<0.05) and 6 months (12.±5.4 vs 33±8.4; p<0.05). The 7-day pain VAS were significantly lower in DC positive patients at 3 months (23±4.6 vs 47±6.6; p<0.05) and MFDPI were significantly lower in DC positive patients at 3 months (10±1.9 DC positive vs 19±2.9 DC negative; p<0.05).Conclusion:These findings indicate that persistent, non-episodic foot pain in hyperuricaemia is both associated with US features of MSU deposition and is responsive to ULT. Symptomatic hyperuricaemia occurring prior to episodic gout therefore represents an earlier or alternative disease presentation. Changes to the ACR/ EULAR classification criteria to include non-episodic foot pain in the presence of US features of gout may increase the sensitivity of disease classification at an early stage, leading to improved future treatment strategies and long-term outcomes.References:[1]Stewart S, Dalbeth N, Vandal AC, Rome K. Characteristics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint in gout and asymptomatic hyperuricaemia: A cross-sectional observational study. J Foot Ankle Res. 2015;8(1):1–8.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals Recurrent wheeze and its relationship with lung function and airway inflammation in preschool children: a cross-sectional study in South Korea

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e018010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Eun Soh ◽  
Kyung-Moon Kim ◽  
Ji-Won Kwon ◽  
Hyung Young Kim ◽  
Ju-Hee Seo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Airway Inflammation ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Airway Function ◽  
Recurrent Wheeze

BackgroundRelationship between recurrent wheeze and airway function and inflammation in preschool children is not fully known.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between recurrent wheeze and airway inflammation, lung function, airway hyper-reactivity (AHR) and atopy in preschool children.DesignObservational study, comparing forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and mid-forced expiratory flow (FEF25%–75%), dose–response slope (DRS), exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and atopic sensitisation between children with recurrent wheeze and those without.SettingPopulation-based, cross-sectional study in Seoul and the Gyeonggi province of Korea conducted as a government-funded programme to perform standardised measurement of the prevalence of allergic diseases, and related factors, in preschool children.Participants900 children aged 4–6 years.Primary and secondary outcome measureseNO, FEV1/FVC, FEF25%–75%, DRS, atopic sensitisation and allergic diseases.MethodsChildren completed the modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and underwent eNO assessments, spirometry, methacholine bronchial provocation tests and skin prick tests. Recurrent wheeze was defined as having a lifetime wheeze of more than three episodes, based on the questionnaire. The frequency of hospitalisation and emergency room visits was also obtained by means of the questionnaire. ‘Current’ wheeze was defined as having symptoms or treatments within the past 12 months.ResultsThe prevalence of recurrent wheeze was 13.4%. Children with recurrent wheeze showed a higher prevalence of lifetime or current allergic rhinitis (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively) and lifetime atopic dermatitis (p=0.007). Children with recurrent wheeze showed lower FEV1/FVC (p=0.033) and FEF25%–75%(p=0.004), and higher eNO levels (p=0.013) than those without recurrent wheeze. However, the DRS, prevalence of atopic sensitisation and serum IgE levels were not significantly different between the two groups.ConclusionsRecurrent wheeze in preschool children may be associated with airway inflammation and diminished airway function, but not with AHR or atopy.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Aflatoxin Levels in Edible Seeds, Estimation of Its Dietary Intake and Vitamin E Levels in Southern Areas of Punjab, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8964
Author(s):  
Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis ◽  
Muhammed Muzammel Shehzad ◽  
Sunusi Usman ◽  
Nada Basheir Ali ◽  
Shahzad Zafar Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Summer Season ◽  
Total Tocopherol ◽  
Average Amount ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Edible Seeds ◽  
Pumpkin Seeds ◽  
Melon Seeds

A total of 779 samples of edible nuts (melon seeds, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cantaloupe seeds) from Southern Punjab (Pakistan), were collected during the summer and the winter seasons. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and vitamin E (tocopherols) levels were investigated using HPLC. The results have shown that 180 (43.4%) of samples from the winter season and 122 (33.4%) samples from the summer season were found positive for AFs. Elevated average levels of total AFs (20.9 ± 3.10 μg/kg, dry weight) were observed in watermelon seeds without shell, and the lowest average amount (15.9 ± 3.60 μg/kg) were documented in melon seeds without shell samples from the winter season. An elevated average amount of total AFs 17.3 ± 1.50 μg/kg was found in pumpkin seeds available without a shell. The results have documented a significant difference in total AFs levels in edible seeds available with shells versus without shells (α = 0.05 & 0.01). The highest dietary intake of 6.30 μg/kg/day was found in female individuals from consuming pumpkin seeds (without shell) in the winter season. A value of 3.00 μg/kg/day was found in pumpkin seed without shell in the summer season in female individuals. The highest total tocopherol levels were 22.2 ± 7.70 ng/100 g in pumpkin seeds samples from the winter season and 14.5 ± 5.50 mg/100 g in melon seed samples from the summer season. The variation of total tocopherol levels in edible seeds among the winter and summer seasons showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.0054), except watermelon seeds samples with non-significant differences (p ≥ 0.183).

scholarly journals TO STUDY THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF AIRWAY ABNORMALITY IN TERMS OF ALTERATION IN PFT IN ASYMPTOMATIC SMOKERS.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Hitesh Kumar Solanki ◽  
Dr. Omnath P Yadav ◽  
Dr. Anita J Gojiya
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Group I ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
History Of ◽  
Young Smokers ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Group Ii

The study was conducted in department of physiology, B J Medical College, Ahmedabad from Mar. 2012 to Feb. 2013. This was a cross-sectional study to evaluate the effect of smoking on lung   function and serum lipids in asymptomatic smokers   and comparable non   smokers. The mean of the various spirometric parameters were calculated of the subjects for both the groups. The mean FVC in group I and group II was 2.60 ± 0.62 L and 4.10 ± 0.64L respectively. The mean FEV1 in group I was 1.91 ± 0.57L and     3.19 ± 0.77L in group II Group I had mean FEF25% - 75% and PEFR of 1.98 ± 0.67L/sec and 4.50 ± 1.57L/sec respectively. Group II had mean FEF25 – 75% of 4.22 ± 1.23L/sec and a mean PEFR of 7.22 ± 1.42L/sec. In young smokers and asymptomatic, still the spirometric values were significantly deranged as compared to controls. Even smokers with history of less pack years of smoking also had significant abnormalities of lung function. All he spirometric values in the two groups had statistically highly significant difference and were higher in non-smokers as compared to smokers. The spirometric values were reduced in smokers with history of smoking for as low as two pack years. Keywords: Progression, PFT, Asymptomatic & Smokers

scholarly journals Impaired Lung Functions Using Tidal Breath Analysis in High-risk Infants with Recurrent Wheezing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Anık ◽  
Pınar Uysal
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Breath Analysis ◽  
Roc Curve Analysis ◽  
Recurrent Wheezing ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Lung Functions ◽  
Lower Lung ◽  
High Risk Infants

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate lung functions using tidal breath analysis (TBA) in high-risk infants with recurrent wheezing. METHODS: Lung functions measured using TBA in infants with physician-diagnosed recurrent wheezing (≥3 episodes) who applied our institution between 2018-2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Infants were assigned to two groups: high-risk infants with recurrent wheezing (n=30) and wheezy infants without high risk of atopy (n=33). RESULTS: High-risk infants with recurrent wheezing had lower mean values of tPTEF, tPTEF: tE, VPTEF, and VPTEF: VE than that of wheezy infants without high risk of atopy. There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of Vt/kg and respiratory rate. ROC curve analysis showed that tPTEF: tE ratio <26.5 demonstrated 63.3% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity for detection of high risk of atopy. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study showed that high-risk infants with recurrent wheezing have lower lung function than those of wheezy infants without high risk of atopy. TBA might be useful method to evaluate lung function in wheezy infants.

A complementary product of a nearby ski lift company

2020 ◽  
pp. 135481662096832
Author(s):  
Hannes Wallimann
Keyword(s):  
Control Method ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Pricing Strategy ◽  
Synthetic Control ◽  
Winter Sports ◽  
Value Network ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overnight Stays

The availability of attractive complementary products offered by a nearby company positively affects other companies in the value network of a winter sports destination. We aim to illustrate empirically the positive effects of the campaign of a local ski lift company in Switzerland on other companies in the same value network. For the first time in tourism research, the synthetic control method is used to investigate the impact of a new pricing strategy. In this case, the company’s practice of radically discounting the prices of its seasonal lift passes had a positive impact on accommodation businesses in the same winter sports destination. The impact amounts to about 35% additional overnight stays by domestic tourists per winter season that is a seasonal increase of 32,000 overnight stays. However, the ski lift company concluded that the campaign had been unsuccessful. We therefore discuss the difficulties of such a new pricing strategy and emphasize the importance of cooperation between independent companies in the wider destination area.

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