Exerc Immunol Rev. 2014;20:8-22.
The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in oral-respiratory mucosal immunity and the incidence, severity and duration of upper respiratory symptoms (URS) episodes in endurance athletes during a 16-week winter training period. Blood was collected from 210 subjects (147 men and 63 women) at the start and end of the study for determination of differential leukocyte counts. Timed collections of unstimulated saliva were obtained at the start and at 4-week intervals during the study period. Saliva samples were analysed for salivary antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs). Weekly training and daily illness logs were kept using validated questionnaires. Training loads averaged 11 h/week of moderate-vigorous physical activity and were not different for males and females. The salivary concentration of lysozyme and lactoferrin (both P < 0.04) but not salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) or amylase were higher in males than females. Saliva flow rates were significantly higher in males than females (P < 0.03) and consequently so were the salivary secretion rates of lysozyme, lactoferrin and amylase (all P < 0.01) but not SIgA (P = 0.097). Total blood leukocyte, monocyte and lymphocyte counts were not different between the sexes but females had higher numbers of circulating neutrophils (P = 0.040). The average number of URS episodes was 0.6 +/- 0.8 (mean +/- SD) in males and 0.8 +/- 1.0 in females (P = 0.103) and the number of URS days was higher in females (4.7 vs 6.8 days, P < 0.02). The duration of URS episodes was longer in females (11.6 vs 15.5 days, P < 0.03). The findings of this study concur with recent reports of illness incidence at major competitive games indicating that female athletes may be more susceptible than their male counterparts to URS and that lower oral-respiratory mucosal immunity may, in part, account for this.
本研究旨在探讨耐力运动员在为期 16 周的冬季训练期间，口腔呼吸黏膜免疫的性别差异，以及上呼吸道症状 (URS) 发作的发生率、严重程度和持续时间。在研究开始和结束时，从 210 名受试者（147 名男性和 63 名女性）中采集血液，以确定白细胞分类计数。在研究期间，每隔 4 周采集一次未刺激唾液的定时样本。分析唾液样本中的唾液抗菌肽和蛋白质 (AMPs)。使用经过验证的问卷每周记录训练和每日疾病情况。训练负荷平均为每周 11 小时的中等至剧烈体力活动，男女之间没有差异。男性唾液溶菌酶和乳铁蛋白（均 P < 0.04）的浓度高于女性，但唾液免疫球蛋白 A (SIgA) 或淀粉酶的浓度则没有。男性唾液流速明显高于女性（P < 0.03），因此唾液溶菌酶、乳铁蛋白和淀粉酶的分泌率也高于女性（均 P < 0.01），但 SIgA 的分泌率则没有（P = 0.097）。男女之间总血白细胞、单核细胞和淋巴细胞计数没有差异，但女性循环中性粒细胞数量较多（P = 0.040）。男性 URS 发作的平均次数为 0.6 +/- 0.8（均值 +/- 标准差），女性为 0.8 +/- 1.0（P = 0.103），女性 URS 天数较多（4.7 天比 6.8 天，P < 0.02）。女性 URS 发作的持续时间较长（11.6 天比 15.5 天，P < 0.03）。本研究的结果与最近在重大竞技比赛中发病率的报告一致，表明女性运动员可能比男性运动员更容易发生 URS，而口腔呼吸黏膜免疫较低可能在一定程度上导致了这一现象。
