Lung function and cytokine levels in professional athletes.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have demonstrated that exercise-induced asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness commonly occur in athletes. The present study investigates pulmonary function and cytokine levels in professional athletes to explore the impact of various sports on respiratory system function and to evaluate the possible role of systemic anaphylaxis. METHODS: Lung function was measured at rest in professional athletes without a history of smoking. Athletes were recruited from 10 different sports including swimming, water ballet, shooting, volleyball, softball, football, kickboxing, fencing, judo, and track and field. Measurements included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), vital capacity (VC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal mid-expiratory flow curve (MMEF), and forced expiratory flow rate (FEF(25-75)%). In addition, the medical history of all athletes was recorded. Correlations between lung function measurements and the different sports, age, gender, height and weight were analyzed. In some athletes, serum was sampled to detect IL-4 and IL-10 concentrations. In these subjects, the correlation between pulmonary function and cytokine levels was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 147 professional athletes and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Allergic rhinitis and asthma were detected only in swimmers with an incidence of 56.52% (13/23) and 8.70% (2/23), respectively. Lung function measures were significantly correlated with sport, age, gender, height, and weight. Ventilation functions (including FVC, FEV(1), FEV(1)/FVC, and MMV) in male athletes were superior to those in females, and the ventilation functions in swimmers were superior to those in others. However, the small airway functions (MMEF, FEF(50), FEF(75)) in swimmers and in track and field athletes were lower than predicted (swimmers: 72%, 70%, and 78%, respectively; track and field athletes: 79%, 75%, and 99%, respectively). Serum analyses for IL-4 and IL-10 revealed that IL-4 concentrations were higher in swimmers 69.34 +/- 22.4 pg/mL relative to non-swimmers (p = 0.000). By contrast IL-10 concentrations were lower in swimmers 34.94 +/- 9.71 pg/mL than that in the static group (44.69 +/- 16.32 pg/mL; p = 0.027). IL-4 levels were negatively correlated with FEV(1)%, FEF(25)%, FEF(50)%, and MMEF%. By contrast, IL-10 levels were not correlated with any of these measures. CONCLUSIONS: The lung function measurements were correlated with sport, age, gender, height, and weight in the various athletes. The lung capacity of swimmers was greater than that of other athletes. Small airway dysfunction was observed in some swimmers and endurance athletes. We observed an association between systemic anaphylaxis and small airway dysfunction after prolonged regular training, particularly following swimming and endurance training.

The role of calcineurin in the lung fibroblasts proliferation and collagen synthesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of calcineurin (CaN) in the lung fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We used Western blot and immunohistochemical methods for investigating the content and distribution of calcineurin in the lung tissue. Calcineurin activity in different tissues was measured using (32)P-labelled substrate. In the primary culture of lung fibroblasts, (3)H-thymidine ((3)H-TdR) and (3)H-proline incorporation methods were used to study the effect of cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of calcineurin, on the lung fibroblast DNA and collagen synthesis stimulated by bFGF.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We found that calcineurin was expressed in lung tissue and has phosphatase activity (7.1 +/- 2.0 pmol Pi/mg pr/min). CsA (10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L) inhibited lung fibroblast (3)H-TdR incorporation induced by bFGF in a dose-dependent manner, with the inhibitory rates by 20%, 46% and 66% (P < 0.01). CsA (10(-7) - 10(-6) mol/L) inhibited (3)H-proline incorporation in lung fibroblasts stimulated by bFGF, with the inhibitory rates by 21% and 37% (P < 0.01). In a culture medium, CsA (10(-8) - 10(-6) mol/L) inhibited (3)H-proline secretion induced by bFGF in a dose-dependent manner, with the inhibitory rates by 19%, 29% (P < 0.05) and 56% (P < 0.01). CsA (10(-7) mol/L) could inhibit calcineurin activity by 44% in lung fibroblasts (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Calcineurin is expressed in lung tissue and has phosphatase activity. It is involved in the bFGF stimulated lung fibroblast DNA and collagen synthesis.</p>

Clinical diagnostic approach to severe acute respiratory syndrome: an institution's experience / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze diagnostic approach to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) according to the diagnostic criteria issued by the Ministry of Health of China (MHC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data and the diagnostic results of 108 cases of SARS were retrospectively reviewed according to the MHC criteria.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 55 men and 53 women, with a median age of 34.5 years (range, 12 - 78 years). The interval between their first visit and clinical diagnosis was 3 days (range, 0 - 14 days). The diagnosis was made at the first visit in 7 (6.5%, 7/108) cases with a history of exposure to SARS patients and infiltrates on chest radiograph. Eighty-nine (82.4%) and 12 (11.1%) patients were categorized as probable cases and suspected cases respectively at their first visit and a clinical diagnosis of SARS was made subsequently. The interval between first visit and reaching the final diagnosis was 1 - 3 days in 72 (66.7%) cases and 4 days in 29 (26.9%) cases. The final diagnosis was made in 0 - 14 days (median, 2 days) for those (n = 59, 54.6%) with a history of close contact with SARS patients and 2 - 8 days (median, 3 days) for those (n = 49, 45.4%) living in Beijing but without such a history (P = 0.03). The chest radiograph was interpreted as unremarkable in 26 (24.1%) cases at their first visit, and the diagnosis was made in 4 days (range 2 - 8 days), which was significantly longer compared with other cases (P < 0.001). In patients without a history of close contact with SARS patients, all the five criteria were met after combination antibiotic therapy had failed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A chest radiograph without infiltrates at the early stage of SARS is an important factor responsible for delayed diagnosis. In patients without a history of close contact with SARS cases, antibiotic effect was a major factor influencing doctors' diagnosis.</p>

Cross-talk between calcineurin and protein kinases in airway remodeling in asthma / 北京大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To determine the role of cross-talk between calcineurin-dependent signal transduction pathway and protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase A (PKA) in airway remodeling in asthma. Methods: Male guinea pigs were sensitized with intraperitoneal injections of ovabumin (OVA), then treated with cyclosporin A (CsA,5 mg/kg), an inhibitor of calcineurin, then inhaled OVA for 2 weeks 14 days later. Activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and PKA were was analyzed by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In primary cultures of rat airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC), activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and cross-talk induced by urotensin Ⅱ (UⅡ), a recently identified strong mitogen, were measured. Results: (1) The activities of calcineurin, MAPK and PKC increased by 19% (P0.05). (4) CsA 10 -6 mol/L inhibited UⅡ-stimulated PKC activity by 14% (P0.05). Conclusion:The signal transduction pathways between calcineurin and other protein kinases such as PKC, MAPK and PKA have cross-talk in airway remodeling in asthma.

Pulmonary function in patients cured from severe acute respiratory syndrome / 中国呼吸与危重监护杂志

Objective To study the pulmonary function changes in patients cured from severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) Methods Pulmonary function tests were performed in 11 SARS patients one month after their discharge from hospital Results The subjects (3 males and 9 females) were aged from 21 to 62 years (31 0?10 0) The days after their discharge from hospital were 22 to 43 days (32 2?4 7) Pulmonary function showed:vital capacity(VC) (95 6?19 0)% predicted,forced vital capacity(FVC) (97 2?9 9)% predicted,forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV 1)(97 5?9 8)% predicted,FEV 1/FVC (85 9?5 6)%,total lung capacity(TLC) (102 4?10 4)% predicted,residual volume(RV)/TLC (32 6?5 0)%,RV (116 8?25 0)% predicted,and diffusing capacity of CO(DLCO) (73 6?10 9)% predicted Conclusion The patients cured from SARS demonstrated relatively normal ventilatory function but mild impaired diffusing capacity

The effect of homocysteine on airway smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To study the effect of homocysteine (HCY) on proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts and the effect of HCY on collagen prodution of airway fibroblasts. METHODS: [3H]-TdR incorpora- tion was measured in cultured airway smooth muscle cells. The [3H]-TdR and [3H]-proline incorporation were mea- sured in cultured airway fibroblasts. RESULTS: HCY induced proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in a concentration - dependent manner. HCY also induced collagen production of airway fibroblasts in a concentration - dependent manner. The inhibitors of protein kinase C, H7 and polymyxin B, inhibited HCY - induced proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells. CONCLUSIONS: HCY induced proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, HCY also induced collagen production of airway fibroblasts. The HCY - induced proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells may be related to the pathway of PKC signal transduction.