Epithelial barrier theory in the context of nutrition and environmental exposure in athletes.

Exposure to toxic substances, introduced into our daily lives during industrialization and modernization, can disrupt the epithelial barriers in the skin, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, leading to microbial dysbiosis and inflammation. Athletes and physically active individuals are at increased risk of exposure to agents that damage the epithelial barriers and microbiome, and their extreme physical exercise exerts stress on many organs, resulting in tissue damage and inflammation. Epithelial barrier-damaging substances include surfactants and enzymes in cleaning products, laundry and dishwasher detergents, chlorine in swimming pools, microplastics, air pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, and diesel exhaust. Athletes' high-calorie diet often relies on processed foods that may contain food emulsifiers and other additives that may cause epithelial barrier dysfunction and microbial dysbiosis. The type of the material used in the sport equipment and clothing and their extensive exposure may increase the inflammatory effects. Excessive travel-related stress, sleep disturbances and different food and microbe exposure may represent additional factors. Here, we review the detrimental impact of toxic agents on epithelial barriers and microbiome; bring a new perspective on the factors affecting the health and performance of athletes and physically active individuals.

Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Fragments in Wastewater Detects the Spread of New Variants during Major Events.

The sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater is an unbiased method to detect the spread of emerging variants and to track regional infection dynamics, which is especially useful in case of limited testing and clinical sequencing. To test how major international events influence the spread of new variants we have sequenced SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater samples of Davos, Landquart, Lostallo, and St. Moritz in the Swiss canton of Grisons in the time around the international sports competitions in Davos and St. Moritz in December 2021, and additionally in May 2022 and January 2023 in Davos and St. Moritz during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The prevalence of the variants identified from the wastewater sequencing data showed that the Omicron variant BA.1 had spread in Davos and St. Moritz during the international sporting events hosted there in December 2021. This spread was associated with an increase in case numbers, while it was not observed in Landquart and Lostallo. Another instance of new variant spread occurred during the WEF in January 2023, when the Omicron variant BA.2.75 arrived in Davos but not in St. Moritz. We can therefore conclude that major international events promote the spread of new variants in the respective host region, which has important implications for the protective measures that should be taken.

Physical activity in asthma control and its immune modulatory effect in asthmatic preschoolers.

BACKGROUND: The impact of physical activity on immune response is a hot topic in exercise immunology, but studies involving asthmatic children are scarce. Our aims were to examine whether there were any differences in the level of physical activity and daily TV attendance, to assess its role on asthma control and immune responses to various immune stimulants. METHODS: Weekly physical activity and daily television attendance were obtained from questionnaires at inclusion of the PreDicta study. PBMC cultures were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), R848, poly I:C, and zymosan. A panel of cytokines was measured and quantified in cell culture supernatants using luminometric multiplex immunofluorescence beads-based assay. RESULTS: Asthmatic preschoolers showed significantly more TV attendance than their healthy peers (58.6% vs. 41.5% 1-3 h daily and only 25.7% vs. 47.2% ≤1 h daily) and poor asthma control was associated with less frequent physical activity (PA) (75% no or occasional activity in uncontrolled vs. 20% in controlled asthma; 25% ≥3 times weekly vs. 62%). Asthmatics with increased PA exhibited elevated cytokine levels in response to polyclonal stimulants, suggesting a readiness of circulating immune cells for type 1, 2, and 17 cytokine release compared to subjects with low PA and high TV attendance. This may also represent a proinflammatory state in high PA asthmatic children. Low physical activity and high TV attendance were associated with a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines. Proinflammatory cytokines were correlating with each other in in vitro immune responses of asthmatic children, but not healthy controls, this correlation was more pronounced in children with sedentary behavior. CONCLUSION: Asthmatic children show more sedentary behavior than healthy subjects, while poor asthma control is associated with a substantial decrease in physical activity. Our results suggest that asthmatic children may profit from regular exercise, as elevated cytokine levels in stimulated conditions indicate an immune system prepared for responding strongly in case of different types of infections. However, it has to be considered that a hyperinflammatory state in high PA may not be beneficial in asthmatic children.

[Medical service for sports events]. / Medizinische Versorgung bei Sportanlässen.

The medical service for sports events is for physicians and other healthcare professionals a particular challenge, depending on type and size of the event. Planning criteria exist but only in general terms and are often inadequate, so the preparation should based principally on experience. In addition to a good cooperation with the other partners of the emergency medical services, specific accidents and clinical pictures, as well as legal implications have to observed.

Le service médical des événements sportifs est un challenge spécial pour les médecins et le personnel paramédical, selon le type et la dimension de cette manifestation. Les principes de planification existent seulement en termes généraux et sont souvent insuffisiants de sorte qu'il faut les baser sur l'expérience. En plus d'une bonne coopération avec les autres partenaires du service médical d'urgence, les accidents et pathologies spécifiques et leur conséquences légales doivent être prises en compte.

"On-site" prevention and education to improve cardiac pre-competition screening in competitive amateur athletes.

STUDY/PRINCIPLES: To assess the effects of an "on-site" prevention and education programme to improve the cardiac screening in competitive amateur athletes. METHODS: We integrated an "on-site prevention and education programme" at the 2012 edition of the Swiss Alpine Marathon in Davos, Switzerland. After a specific lecture, the athletes could visit a "Sports-Cardiology-Section" at the official "medical-park". On an anonymised questionnaire, they could state their intention for a screening programme in general and after our "on-site" intervention. RESULTS: Among the 150 athletes who attended the medical day (3.3% of 4,500 finishers) the response rate was 82%. While 39 (31.7%) athletes were aware of "exercise related SCD", more than twice as many (64.2%) were not. 72.4% of the participants (n = 89) reported that they never had taken part in cardiac screening examinations. 70.7% (n = 87) runners were convinced that they would benefit from such a screening. 65.9% (n = 81) of the runners stated that our "on-site" prevention concept influenced their decision to consider a cardiac screening in the future. CONCLUSION: An "on-site prevention and education" concept for the prevention of SCD in competitive amateur athletes is feasible and successfully increased the athletes' awareness of the issue. The vast majority of athletes felt to have benefited from such a programme. The current study confirms that there is an alarming lack of preventive measures in the very large group of ambitious, competitive, amateur athletes that are frequently underprepared for challenging sports events.

Treatment of esophageal variceal hemorrhage with self-expanding metal stents as a rescue maneuver in a swiss multicentric cohort.

Acute esophageal variceal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension remains a complication with a high mortality today. In cases refractory to standard therapy including endoscopic band ligation and pharmacological therapy, traditionally balloon tamponade has been used as salvage therapy. However, these techniques show several important limitations. Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have been proposed as an alternative rescue treatment. The use of variceal stenting in 7 patients with a total of 9 bleeding episodes in three different Swiss hospitals is demonstrated. While immediate bleeding control is achieved in a high percentage of cases, the 5-day and 6-week mortality rate remain high. Mortality is strongly influenced by the severity of the underlying liver disease. Accordingly, our data represent a high-risk patient collective. Thanks to their safety and easy handling, SEMS are an interesting alternative to balloon tamponade as a bridging intervention to definitive therapy including the pre-hospital setting.

Biliary atresia: Swiss national study, 1994-2004.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the epidemiology of biliary atresia (BA) in Switzerland, the outcome of the children from diagnosis, and the prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of all patients with BA born in Switzerland between January 1994 and December 2004 were analyzed. Survival rates were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors evaluated with the log rank test. Median follow up was 58 months (range, 5-124). RESULTS: BA was diagnosed in 48 children. Incidence was 1 in 17,800 live births (95% confidence interval 1/13,900-1/24,800), without significant regional, annual, or seasonal variation. Forty-three children underwent a Kasai portoenterostomy (PE) in 5 different Swiss pediatric surgery units. Median age at Kasai PE was 68 days (range, 30-126). Four-year survival with native liver after Kasai PE was 37.4%. Liver transplantation (LT) was needed in 31 in 48 children with BA, including 5 patients without previous Kasai PE. Four patients (8%, all born before 2001) died while waiting for LT, and 29 LT were performed in 27 patients (28 in Geneva and 1 in Paris). All of the transplanted patients are alive. Four-year overall BA patient survival was 91.7%. Four-year survival with native liver was 75% in patients who underwent Kasai PE before 46 days, 33% in patients operated on between 46 and 75 days, and 11% in patients operated on after 75 days (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Overall survival of patients with BA in Switzerland compares favorably with current international standards, whereas results of the Kasai operation could be improved to reduce the need for LTs in infancy and early childhood.

Hyponatremia in a pediatric stroke patient: syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion or cerebral salt wasting?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential role of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the pathogenesis of cerebral salt wasting. DESIGN: Clinical case report. SETTING: Regional pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENT: A 3-yr-old boy with a cerebral infarct secondary to traumatic carotid artery dissection who developed hyponatremia associated with weight loss and excessive renal sodium excretion on the sixth day after hospitalization. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of ANP, BNP, antidiuretic hormone, and renin were determined serially and compared with concentrations measured in a group of eight healthy children undergoing elective surgical procedures. Compared with controls, ANP and BNP plasma concentrations on the eighth day after hospitalization were increased 1.9-fold and 7.7-fold, respectively. Thereafter, the course of ANP and BNP paralleled that of sodium and H2O excretion and remained elevated until the 14th (BNP) and 16th (ANP) days after hospitalization. Serum antidiuretic hormone and renin concentrations were within normal ranges during the entire observation period. CONCLUSION: Cerebral salt wasting is associated with elevated plasma concentrations of ANP and BNP. Natriuretic peptides may play a role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome.