In this study the investigators will study the lung function and airway inflammation in elite athletes starting at the elite sport school (age: 12-13 year) and the change in lung function parameters and airway inflammation after 1 and 2 years at the elite sport school in comparison to age-matched controls (exercising at a recreational level, \<4 hours/week).
A group of elite athletes (from the elite sport school in Leuven (n=35) in cooperation with 'Sportmedisch Advies Centrum' (SMAC) UZ Leuven) and the future team of the Flemish Swimming Federation (n=15) will be recruited at the start of their career (first level) as an elite athlete. A group of healthy subjects (n=20) will be recruited to serve as a control. The investigators will compare lung function parameters and airway inflammation at the first visit in the autumn of 2011 and the second and third visit (one and two years later, respectively). Lung function will be assessed by spirometry. Sputum will be induced with an aerosol of inhaled hypertonic saline in concentrations of 3%, 4% and 5% for 7 minutes generated by a De Vilbiss nebuliser (Ultra-Neb 2000 model 200HI) after pretreatment with 400 mg inhaled salbutamol. Sputum will be processed as previously described and the obtained cell suspensions will be used for differential cell counts and cytokine mRNA analysis. The supernatant will be used to measure cytokine and chemokine levels. EIA diagnosis (visit 1,2 and 3) will be assessed by a diagnostic test for asthma (positive reversibility test with salbutamol) and a positive EIB-test. Eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation test will be used as a test for EIB (gold standard of IOC-MC). Dynamic lung function parameters will be assessed before and immediately after, 5' after, 10' after and 15' after eucapnic hyperventilation. Patients were asked to breath at 85% of the maximal ventilation (predefined as maximal voluntary volume) for 6 minutes through a mouthpiece connected to a reservoir. The reservoir is be filled with a gas mixture of 21% 02, 5% CO2 and 74% N2. The test is considered positive when a drop in FEV1 of \>10% occurred at one of the time points after eucapnic hyperventilation.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
134
UZ Leuven
Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium
Maximal Fall in Forced Expiratory Volume in One-second (FEV1) After Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperventilation (EVH) Test
percentage change in FEV1 after EHV test compared to baseline EVH test will be performed for 6 min at a target ventilation of 85% of the maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), which will be determined before initiation of the test. Ventilation will be monitored during the 6-min test by a flow sensor (Jaeger Oxycon Mobile, Carefusion), FEV1 will be measured immediately after challenge and at 5, 10 and 15 min. A reduction in FEV1 ≥ 10% at one of the time points compared with the value before the test will be considered positive. Salbutamol (400 μg) will be given after the last spirometry (post-EVH) to check bronchodilator reversibility.
Time frame: change from baseline compared to 15 minutes after EVH test
Number of Participants With Allergies Determined by Positive Skin Prick Test
Time frame: baseline
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