Sports injuries in Plus League volleyball players.

AIM: Although physical activity brings a range of lifelong health benefits, it may also lead to injuries that pose a significant threat to health. It is particularly noticeable in people involved in professional sports where sport-related injuries commonly occur and are associated with intense exercise which aims to improve physical fitness. The article attempts to determine incidence of sports injuries reported by Plus League volleyball players, as well as to identify their most common types and causes. METHODS: The research project involved 90 Plus League volleyball players aged 18-37 with the average age of 25.11 (SD±5.378). A method of diagnostic survey was applied to collect empirical data by means of questionnaire developed by the authors (researchers). The results were statistically analysed and verified with the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and χ2 test at the significance level (or critical P-value) of P≤0.05. RESULTS: Over 87% of the respondents suffered from at least one sport-related injury. In total, 362 injuries occurred, on average 4.02 injuries per one volleyball player. The most common sports injuries involved ankle or talocrural joint (46 injuries), knee and lower leg muscles (30), interphalangeal articulations of fingers (30) as well as shoulder joint. More than half of the injuries (57%) occurred twice or three times. Volleyball players commonly sustain injuries through contact with an opposing player in competition. Sport-specific injuries may also occur due to exhaustion, lack of rest and undertreated injuries. CONCLUSION: The most common volleyball-related injuries are primarily talocrural joint, hand and shoulder injuries. Common types of injuries that can affect volleyball players include muscles, joints and ligaments injuries, sprains and strains as well as bruises. Most of these injuries are caused by exhaustion, contact with an opposing player during competition and fatigue. The incidence of sport-related injuries seems to be influenced by such factors as somatic features, jumping parameters and the length of professional volleyball career.

Effects of latanoprost on tyrosinase activity and mitotic index of cultured melanoma lines.

The intraocular pressure-lowering drug latanoprost, a phenyl-substituted analogue of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), increases iris pigmentation in a small number of patients. In theory, this could be due to increased melanogenesis or melanocyte proliferation. To distinguish these two possibilities, the present study examined the effects of latanoprost on tyrosinase activity (the rate-limiting step for melanin synthesis) and mitotic index of cultured melanoma lines. Murine cutaneous melanoma lines (S91 and B16), and human uveal (OCM1, OCM3, and OM431) and cutaneous (SK-MEL5 and M21) melanoma lines were cultured with PGE1, PGE2, PGF2 alpha, latanoprost, or the adenylate cyclase stimulating agent forskolin. After treatment, tyrosinase was assayed with respect to its dopa oxidase activity using a colorimetric assay. PGE1, PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and latanoprost greatly increased tyrosinase activity in murine melanoma lines and caused small increases in tyrosinase activity in human uveal and cutaneous melanoma lines. Similar results were obtained with the cAMP-elevating compound forskolin. Cyclic AMP content, as determined by an enzyme-linked immunoassay, was similarly increased by all treatments, with forskolin being the most potent stimulator. Since the species difference in tyrosinase activity was observed without an apparent difference in induction of cAMP, latanoprost would appear to induce tyrosinase activity through a non-cAMP-dependent pathway. Finally, latanoprost and PGF2 alpha did not enhance the mitotic index of human uveal or cutaneous melanoma lines, measured by [6-3H] thymidine uptake, although they increased the mitotic index of one murine cutaneous line. Given that latanoprost induced tyrosinase activity, but did not increase the mitotic index in any of the human melanoma lines studied, this suggests that the in vivo iris pigmentation side effect of latanoprost may not result from increased cell division, but from elevated tyrosinase activity.

[Undesirable effects of spa treatments: apropos of a systematic, prospective spa surveillance study at Bagnères-de-Bigorre]. / Effets indésirables des cures thermales: à propos d'une étude de vigilance thermale prospective systématique à Bagnères-de-Bigorre.

The aim of the study was a systematic prospective survey of adverse events at health resorts using the French method of assessment of imputability of adverse drug reactions. The work was performed over a period of one month in Grands Thermes at Bagnères-de-Bigorre (France, Pyrénées). Seventy-one adverse events were recorded in 1794 patients, i.e. 0.3 pour cent per day of treatment. Only one adverse event was considered as 'serious'. Six adverse events were evaluated as 'possible' and six others 'likely'. Most of the adverse events were general or neurological (such as asthenia, malaise) and were observed during the six first days at health resorts. These data show that health resorts in Bagnères-de-Bigorre are associated with a low number of adverse events. They show that an epidemiological survey of health resorts is possible. This work underlines the necessity of genuine surveillance for a modern evaluation of the benefit/risk ratio of health resorts.

[Transient myocardial ischemia in patients after myocardial infarction and late cell potentials]. / Przejsciowe niedokrwienie u chorych po zawale miesnia sercowego a pózne potencjaly komorowe.

The role of myocardial ischaemia in the development of late potentials (LP) on the signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains controversial. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of transient, scintigraphically-proven (Tc-99mMI-BI), exercise-induced ischaemia on the presence of LP in 51 pts with angiographically documented CAD. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 26 pts (mean age 53 +/- 7.7) without the history of myocardial infarction (MI) (Group I) and 25 pts (mean age 56.8 +/- 6.4) after MI (Group II). SAECG recording were performed at baseline (A) and during exercise-induced ischaemia (B). The following time-domain parameters of SAECG were analyzed: the root mean square voltage of the last 40 and 50 ms of filtered QRS (RMS40, 50), total time duration of filtered QRS (t0QRS) and time duration potentials < 40 microV (LPD). The ventricular late potentials (LP) were defined as the presence of at least two of the following criteria: tQRS > 114 ms, RMS 40 < 20 mV and LPD > 38 ms. We conclude that transient exercise-induced ischaemia increased the presence of LP in pts with CAD after MI but did not alter the arrhythmogenic substrate for LP in those without the history of MI.

[Biochemical indicators of coronary arteriosclerosis]. / Biochemiczne wskazniki miazdzycy tetnic wiencowych.

In 251 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, plasma levels of lipids, lipoproteins, apoproteins and nonlipid risk factors as fibrinogen, fibrinolysis time, glucose and uric acid in blood were correlated with the incidence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). There were significant differences between CAD group and controls and between men and women with CAD with respect to the mean lipid values. Among the nonlipid risk factors fibrinogen concentration in CAD patients was significantly higher than in controls. In univariate analysis in men, score for the severity of atherosclerosis was strongly related to the apoB and LDL concentration, less to the HDL and fibrinogen levels and to ratios of total cholesterol/HDL and LDL/HDL. In women severity of the disease correlated with apoB, fibrinolysis time, fibrinogen and triglyceride levels. By stepwise multivariate analysis, in both men and women, apoB was selected as the best discriminator between CAD patients and controls. The results of the study indicate that the levels of apoB may be a more accurate predictor of the severity of CAD than the other biochemical risk factors. The presented data also suggests an association between increased fibrinogen concentration, reduced fibrinolytic capacity and CAD. The values of apoB and fibrinogen as indicators of cardiovascular risk should be assessed in prospective studies.