Bougault V, Turmel J, St-Laurent J, Bertrand M, Boulet L-P
Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada.
Eur Respir J. 2009 Apr;33(4):740-6. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00117708. Epub 2009 Jan 7.
Endurance athletes show an increased prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effects of training on airway responsiveness, inflammation and epithelial damage in swimmers and cold-air athletes. In total, 64 elite athletes (32 swimmers and 32 cold-air athletes), 32 mild asthmatic subjects and 32 healthy controls underwent allergy skin prick testing, methacholine challenge and induced sputum analysis. Overall, 69% of swimmers and 28% of cold-air athletes had airway hyperresponsiveness. Sputum neutrophil count correlated with the number of training hours per week in both swimmers and cold-air athletes. Eosinophil counts were higher in swimmers than in healthy subjects, although they were lower than in asthmatic subjects, and correlated with airway hyperresponsiveness in swimmers only. The eosinophil count in cold-air athletes was similar to that in healthy subjects. Bronchial epithelial cell count was not correlated with airway hyperresponsiveness but was significantly increased in swimmers, compared with healthy and asthmatic controls. In conclusion, the present authors observed significant airway inflammation only in competitive athletes with airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the majority of elite athletes showed evidence of bronchial epithelial damage that could possibly contribute to the development of airway hyperresponsiveness.
耐力运动员气道高反应性的患病率增加。本研究的目的是评估训练对游泳运动员和从事冷空气运动的运动员气道反应性、炎症和上皮损伤的长期影响。共有64名精英运动员（32名游泳运动员和32名从事冷空气运动的运动员）、32名轻度哮喘患者和32名健康对照者接受了变应原皮肤点刺试验、乙酰甲胆碱激发试验和诱导痰分析。总体而言，69%的游泳运动员和28%的从事冷空气运动的运动员存在气道高反应性。游泳运动员和从事冷空气运动的运动员痰液中性粒细胞计数均与每周训练小时数相关。游泳运动员的嗜酸性粒细胞计数高于健康受试者，虽低于哮喘患者，且仅与游泳运动员的气道高反应性相关。从事冷空气运动的运动员的嗜酸性粒细胞计数与健康受试者相似。支气管上皮细胞计数与气道高反应性无关，但与健康对照者和哮喘患者相比，游泳运动员的支气管上皮细胞计数显著增加。总之，作者仅在具有气道高反应性的竞技运动员中观察到明显的气道炎症。然而，大多数精英运动员显示出支气管上皮损伤的证据，这可能导致气道高反应性的发展。
