Use of Saliva in Alternative to Serum Sampling to Monitor Biomarkers Modifications in Professional Soccer Players

We aimed to investigate the correlation between serum and salivary concentrations of steroid hormones and IgA, and the variation in concentrations of these biomarkers, across a soccer competitive season in a sample of players playing for an Italian major League team. Thirty-five elite male soccer players were recruited and assessed for salivary hormones (cortisol, testosterone, T/C‰ and DHEA-S) and IgA at three different time-points: (t1) after the pre-season period and 16 official matches played; (t2) after a winter break and three official matches played; (t3) 2 days after the final match of the championship and 19 matches played. Players were also tested for blood biomarkers (ser-C, ser-…

Vascular atherosclerotic disease: evaluation of the whole-blood filterability and red cell membrane microrheological pattern after intravenous administration of a single dose of pentoxifylline.

SummaryA study was carried out in 10 patients with vascular atherosclerotic disease to investigate the effects of a single dose of 300 mg pentoxifylline, given by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes, on various macrorheological and nzicrorheological parameters. Measurements were made at baseline, at the end of the intravenous infusion and again 30 minutes later of whole-blood filterability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity (using pyrene as probe) and transverse fluidity gradient (using fluorescent fatty acids as probes). The results showed that there was a significant variation in whole-blood filterability and the red cell membrane fluidity gradient after pentoxifylline. No difference, howeve…

Azioni biomedicali della T-thesis in Medicicina dello Sport

Red cell Ca2+ content (total and cytosolic) and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in several clinical conditions

Usefulness of QT dispersion in clinical practice

The measurement of QT dispersion in the surface electrocardiogram has been proposed as a non invasive method for assessing inhomogeneity of myocardial repolarization and has been linked to an increased risk of arrhythmic cardiac death. Several studies have evaluated the use of QTd in a wide variety of cardiac diseases and have reached conflicting conclusions regarding its clinical significance.

La pubalgia nello sportivo: quadri RM di “Osteite Pubica"

La pubalgia è una sindrome dolorosa, a volte a carattere invalidante, che colpisce sia gli sportivi agonisti che quelli amatoriali, rappresenta il 2-5% delle patologie correlate all’attività sportiva agonistica e non sempre le sue cause sono facilmente diagnosticabili. L’osteite pubica rappresenta una delle principali cause di dolore inguinale e colpisce gli sportivi nel 0,5-0,7% dei casi. Dal settembre 2003 all’agosto 2004, 40 atleti, 37 uomini e 3 donne (età compresa tra 18 e 37 anni; età media: 24 anni), con diagnosi clinica di pubalgia sono stati sottoposti a RM del bacino. In tutti i casi la sintomatologia era caratterizzata da dolore mono (33%) o bilaterale (67%) con irradiazione alla…

Hemorheologic profile of hyperlipidemic patients treated with gemfibrozil

Abstract We measured the plasma lipid levels and the macrorheologic (whole-blood, plasma, and serum viscosity levels; fibrinogen; hematocrit; mean erythrocyte aggregation; and whole-blood filterability) and microrheologic (erythrocyte membrane fluidity and red cell membrane protein lateral mobility) determinants in a group of 19 hyperlipidemic patients (Fredrickson's classification phenotype IIa, 12 patients; phenotype IV, 4; phenotype IIb, 3) at baseline and after 45 and 90 days of treatment with gemfibrozil (900 mg orally once a day). At baseline we noted statistically significant increases in plasma viscosity level, fibrinogen, and mean erythrocyte aggregation, as well as a statistically…

Red Cell Filterability and Erythrocyte Membrane Microviscosity during Ticlopidine Treatment

The effects of 10 days' treatment with 500 mg/day ticlopidine on the filterability of red blood cells in suspension and on the microviscosity of the red blood cell membrane was evaluated in 11 patients with vascular atherosclerosis. The results show ticlopidine to be effective in influencing the rheological measures of red cell filterability and membrane microviscosity: filterability was increased and microviscosity was decreased. Ticlopidine also decreased the extent of fluorescence polarization. These results are discussed regarding possible mechanisms of action of ticlopidine.

Interventistica eco-guidata per l’articolazione d’anca

Lo scopo di questo lavoro è di rivedere le principali applicazioni della interventistica eco-guidata d’anca, descrivendone le indicazioni e la metodologia. L’ecografia è una metodica considerata sicura per i pazienti, in quanto non è stato dimostrato un possibile danno dovuto all’energia trasmessa dagli ultrasuoni ai tessuti del paziente, contrariamente alle metodiche che fanno uso di radiazioni ionizzanti, come la radiografia convenzionale e la tomografia computerizzata. Inoltre, l’ecografia risulta rapida ed efficace nel guidare l’ago verso la sede voluta evitando di intercettare strutture vascolari e/o nervose, consentendo quindi una maggiore sicurezza, rispetto alle tecniche interventis…

Role of low-field magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of floating meniscus sign as consequence of sport-related trauma

Aim. To assess the role of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed with a low-field scanner in the detection of floating meniscus sign as a consequence of sports-related trauma. Methods. Retrospective review of 2436 MR knee examinations executed, in 18 months, using a low-field scanner of 0.2T, was performed by three musculoskeletal radiologists of varying experience. Diagnostic criteria to define the presence of a complete floating meniscus were as codified in the literature, lithe thickness of the fluid signal band between the meniscus and tibial plateau was comprised in the range >= 3 mm and <= 5 mm the floating meniscus was defined as partial. Patients with the sign were called to lea…

Le fratture da stress nel piede nello sport

Modificazioni di alcuni parametri immunitari in un gruppo di sportivi amatoriali praticanti maratona ed ultramaratona

The function of the Immune System is that to distinguish "self" from "not-self". The immune answer includes a "specific" phase and a "not specific" phase. The phagocytes, as macrophages, granulocytes and natural killer cells constitute a successful defense against viral infections and some types of cancer. The Specific System is made by Ly-T and Ly-B: the first are divided into Ly-T helper and Ly-T suppressor; the second differentiates into Plasmacytes. The IgA, present into the nasal mucosa and the bronchial secretion, represent an early defense, able to block virus penetration. The data of the research show that a moderate exercise can limit the immune depression. It has been supposed tha…

Effect of nimodipine on rheologic parameters in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease

Abstract Sixteen patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease were treated with a monotherapeutic regimen of nimodipine 30 mg orally three times a day. At baseline and after 45 and 90 days of therapy, the patients' whole blood filterability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, red blood cell membrane protein lateral mobility, and red blood cell Ca 2+ content (total and cytosolic) were evaluated. After 45 days, an increase in whole blood filterability and a decrease in the cytosolic red cell Ca 2+ content was seen. At the end of treatment, whole blood filterability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, and red cell membrane protein lateral mobility had increased, compared with baseline values, while t…

Effect of mesoglycan on macrorheologic and microrheologic parameters

Abstract Whole blood filtration, mean erythrocyte aggregation, and erythrocyte membrane fluidity were examined in 10 patients with vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD) and in 15 VAD patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) treated with mesoglycan (100 mg orally twice a day) for 30 days. The red cell membrane transverse fluidity gradient was evaluated in the VAD subjects, and the red cell membrane protein lateral mobility was measured in the VAD subjects with NIDDM. In both groups, mesoglycan treatment was responsible for an increase in erythrocyte membrane fluidity. This finding, which reflects an improvement in the dynamic properties of red cell membrane, assumes part…

Ultrasound-guided intervention for hip joint

The purpose of this work is to review the main applications of ultrasound-guided hip interventional procedures, describing the indications and methodology. Ultrasound is a method considered safe for patients, as it has not been shown a possible damage due to ultrasound energy transmitted towards the patient’s tissues, as opposed to methods that make use of ionizing radiation, such as conventional radiography and computed tomography. In addition, ultra- sound is quick and effective in guiding the needle to the desired location avoiding vascular and/or nerve structures, thus enabling greater security, compared to the techniques performed in interventional fluoroscopy, which also have the disa…

Valutazione delle lesioni focali del tendine del sovraspinato con elastosonografia: confronto con ecografia B-mode e risonanza magnetica: esperienza personale.

Obiettivo. Scopo dello studio era valutare l’elasticità del tendine del sovraspinato nella spalla sintomatica di pazienti con sospetto clinico di rottura unilaterale della cuffia dei rotatori, e comparare i reperti riscontrati con quelli dell’ecografia convenzionale (ultrasound, US) e della risonanza magnetica (RM). Metodi. Nel periodo compreso tra gennaio e dicembre 2009 sono state esaminate da un radiologo entrambe le spalle di 58 pazienti (età media: 46 anni; range 32-58 anni) sia con modulo elastosonografico in real-time che in B-mode tramite uno stesso ecografo (EUB - Hitachi 7500), usando una sonda lineare a elevata frequenza (13 MHz). L’elasticità delle fibre tendinee del sovraspinat…

Erythrocyte membrane fluidity during mesoglycan treatment

Physical exercise and Sport activities in patients with and without coronary heart disease

Background: The quantity and intensity of physical activity required for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease remain unclear. Therefore, we examined the association between physical activity and coronary risk. Methods: We studied 100 patients with chest pain, 78 men and 22 women, not older than 65 years, admitted to a coronary care unit. Patients were subdivided in 3 groups: the first group included patients with acute myocardial infarction, the second group included patients with chronic heart disease, the third included patients with non-ischemic chest-pain. A questionnaire on daily physical activity was filled by each patient. Results: A significantly higher percentage of pat…

Efficacia clinica ruolo preventivo della Visita di Idoneità Medico Sportiva (VIMeS) in Italia. Risultati dello studio nazionale condotto su 32652 atleti presso le Unità Operative di Medicina dello Sport convenzionate con la Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana (F.M.S.I.)

T-Thesis terapia nei traumi muscolari da sport. follow-up ecografico

MRI evaluation of spine abnormalities in the supine position and under physiological load in athletes with a dedicated MR scanner

Purpose of our study was to evaluate the behavior of the lumbar spine of young athletes in the supine and standing position, taking into account all postural changes that the spine undergoes during physiological load, any alterations and any discrepancies in the detection of pathology between the two positions. Between August 2008 and October 2009, we evaluated 40 sportsman (20 men and 20 women) with symptoms of lumbar pain. All subjects underwent MRI with a dedicated scanner of 0.25 Tesla (G-Scan, Esaote Biomedica, Genoa, Italy) either in the conventional supine position, either in the weight-bearing position. Spin echo T1w and fast spin echo T2w images were acquired with a dedicated recei…

Innesti ossei in traumatologia sportiva

In questo lavoro si è pensato di verificare se gli enormi progressi di cui si parla nell’ambito degli innesti ossei, della microchirurgia e dell’ingegneria tessutale esistano realmente e se dunque possano essere utilizzati nella traumatologia sportiva per ottenere una più rapida guarigione, ma soprattutto per ottenere nell’ambito delle riparazioni di lesioni ossee prima non trattabili un’accettabile consolidazione con una buona ripresa dell’attività fisica In questo trial vengono descritti brevemente i diversi tipi di innesti con relativi vantaggi e svantaggi, poi viene proposta un’analisi misurata sull’efficacia degli innesti in 9 pazienti sportivi affetti da lesioni con perdita di sostanz…

ULTRASOUND-GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS TREATMENT OF MUSCLE HEMATOMAS IN ATHLETES

Muscle lesions, a frequent event in sport, often cause hematomas. In fact, both in the traumatic direct injuries, as in American football, and in the traumatic indirect ones, as in strength sports, lesions interesting leg's Muscles Cause intra- and extramuscular hematomas. A diagnosis in a short time, allow LIS to evaluate the lesion rank and plan a surgery approach. Authors present high resolution Ultrasound (HRSU) as a new diagnostic method for this kind of lesion. It allows us to confirm clinic diagnosis, define the lesion's areas and follow-up. Moreover, HRSU has all important role in therapy, promoting in real time the blood's aspiration from lesion's area. Three phases after trauma, d…