Immune response, allergic and upper respiratory symptoms in high performance athletes: validation of markers and effect of clinical treatment on athletic performance

• Grant number: 14/02915-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Celso Ricardo Fernandes de Carvalho
• Grantee: Renata Nakata Teixeira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

An increased prevalence of respiratory and allergic disorders has been found in elite endurance athletes. Accordingly, a proper evaluation and treatment of such disorders would help to improve athletic health care. There are several competing hypotheses seeking to explain the cause of these disorders in athletes; however, the impact of an adequate clinical treatment on respiratory and allergic symptoms as well as the understanding of the immune response remains unknown. Objectives: To compare the immune response of allergic and non-allergic elite athletes and to assess the effect of clinical treatment on respiratory and allergic symptoms, on the immune response as well as on athletic performance. Methods: the study will be performed in 2 phases and the sample will be composed of male elite endurance athletes (triathletes and runners), aged between 20 and 40 years. In phase I, athletes will be asked to fill out the AQUA© and training questionnaires. Besides that, they will be submitted to the following assessments: i) measurement of nitric oxide in exhaled air; ii) measurement of immunoglobulins E (total and specific, lymphocytes Th1, Th2 and Th17) and cytokines Th1, Th2, Th17, IL-10 and Il-1ra and, iii) saliva collection (IgG, IgA, IgM and cortisol). After Phase I, the athletes will be divided into 2 groups: allergic athletes group (AAG) and non-allergic athletes group (NAAG). In phase II, both groups will be assessed before and after a 60 days period, in which AAG will be subjected to clinical treatment. Phase II assessments will include those performed in Phase I plus: i) eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation test; ii) cardiopulmonary exercise testing and; iii) submaximal exercise testing. The comparison of continuous and categorical variables will be performed using t-test and chi square test, respectively. Data analyses of pre- and post-treatment will be performed using two way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test. The significance level will be set at 5% (p<0.05). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TEIXEIRA, RENATA NAKATA; LEITE, GERSON DOS SANTOS; GORJAO, RENATA; PALMEIRA, PATRICIA; MOMESSO SANTOS, CESAR MIGUEL; ZAMBONATTO, RAQUEL; DE OLIVEIRA, HELOISA HELENA; LEVADA, ADRIANA CRISTINA; FIKS, IARA NELY; FERNANDES CARVALHO, CELSO RICARDO. Immune and Inflammatory Response in Atopic Elite Endurance Athletes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, v. 39, n. 9, p. 720-725, SEP 2018. (14/02915-9)

TEIXEIRA, RENATA N.; LEITE, GERSON DOS SANTOS; BONINI, MATTEO; GORJAO, RENATA; AGONDI, ROSANA C.; KOKRON, CRISTINA M.; CARVALHO, CELSO R. F.. Atopy in Elite Endurance Athletes. CLINICAL JOURNAL OF SPORT MEDICINE, v. 28, n. 3, p. 268-271, MAY 2018. (14/02915-9)