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Biomedical subjects

S Bar-Sela

Publications and source records attributed to S Bar-Sela.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Changes in circulating IGF-I and their correlation with self-assessment and fitness among elite athletes.

The evaluation of training load and effectiveness in elite athletes is difficult. We determined the effect of a four-week training camp on changes in self-assessment physical conditioning scores, fitness and circulating IGF-I in elite Israeli handball players during their preparation for the 1999 World Junior Handball Championship. Training consisted of two weeks of intense training followed by two weeks of relative tapering. Fitness was assessed by field test measurements of 1000-m run, 4 x 10-m shuttle run and vertical jump. Serum IGF-I levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay. Measurements were performed before, after two weeks, and at the end of training. Training resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in the results of the 4 x 10-m run, 1000-m run and vertical jump. Changes in the self-assessment physical conditioning score showed a bi-directional pattern. After two weeks of training the players reported decreased physical conditioning scores, with return to basal levels after four weeks. Similarly, circulating IGF-I decreased significantly after two weeks, and returned to basal levels after four weeks of training. We found a significant correlation between changes in circulating IGF-I, and self-assessments of physical conditioning scores (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Intensive training resulted in a decrease, while tapering was associated with an increase in IGF-I levels. These changes were accompanied by parallel changes in subjective physical conditioning self-assessments.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1994

Asthma in Gaza refugee camp children and its relationship with house dust mites.

Three hundred asthmatic children aged 3 to 15 years, and 100 age-sex-neighborhood matched controls, were studied for environmental risk factors for asthma during 1986 to 1987. In 98% of the asthmatic patients, exposure to house dust aggravated the symptoms. In 97% of the cases, the symptoms were more severe at home; in more than 50%, the symptoms persisted throughout the year. Significantly more cigarettes were smoked in the homes of the allergic children than in the control homes. House dust samples from homes of 20 asthmatic and 20 nonasthmatic children were examined for the presence of house dust mites. Twelve species of mites were identified, of which Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, the most prevalent (97%), was found in all samples examined. The average number of mites per gram dust was 447 in homes of children with asthma, and 399 in homes of controls. Although dust and mites seem to be the most important factors causing allergies in Gaza and most of the children are exposed to large numbers of mites in their homes, it appears that those who are genetically predisposed and who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at greater risk for allergic symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Codeine-induced mast cell degranulation in human skin: effect of calcium channel blockers.

Codeine and other opiates can induce immediate type wheal and flare skin reactions. Calcium channel blockers including nifedipine have been shown to inhibit mast cell degranulation in different systems. The oral administration of nifedipine (10 mg) did not affect the size of codeine-induced skin reactions in ten normal volunteers. Mean wheal over flare sizes were 11.7 mm/29.2 mm before nifedipine and 11.5 mm/31.0 mm at peak nifedipine blood levels. Similar observations were made when codeine was injected locally with or without 20 micrograms nifedipine (12.1/29.2 mm and 13.2/29.2 mm, respectively). These data suggest that codeine-induced mast cell degranulation may be mediated by a calcium-independent mechanism. Alternatively, mast cells in the human skin may differ in their reactions to secretagogues when compared with basophils and mast cells from other human tissues or other species.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Respiratory disease in animal house workers.

A cross-sectional survey was made to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders, and the association between symptoms and workplace exposure, in 90 animal-house workers (AHW) and 100 controls (C) without occupational exposure to laboratory animals. Each subject provided a detailed history and serum for radioimmunoassays, and underwent: physical examination, skin testing with common inhalant and animal-derived antigens, and pulmonary function studies. Both groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, smoking habits, and atopy. Rhinitis occurred with similar frequency in each group. However, a more frequent occurrence of asthma (p less than 0.05, non-specific infectious respiratory disease (p less than 0.005), and impaired pulmonary functions (p less than 0.001) was found among AHW. An atopic background was a predisposing factor for the development of laboratory-animal-related respiratory symptoms. These findings imply an increased vulnerability to respiratory disease related to workplace exposure to laboratory animals in atopic individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Antigen-induced enhancement of bronchial reactivity.

Bronchial hyperreactivity as determined by the airway response to methacholine was evaluated pre- and post-antigen challenge in three patients with specific antigen sensitivity. No significant change in pulmonary function was noticed after inhalation of antigen alone. However, transient but significant increase in methacholine responsiveness followed the antigen challenge. The studies indicate a need for a nonspecific inhalation challenge following a negative antigen challenge when clinically indicated.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Occupational respiratory disease in veterinarians.

In order to determine the effect of occupational animal exposure on the occurrence of respiratory disease, we studied 257 active veterinarians and 100 control subjects who had not had occupational animal contact. All participants provided a detailed medical history and underwent spirometry, skin tests, and determination of total serum IgE levels. Asthma was significantly more prevalent in veterinarians (16.3%) than in controls (6%), (P less than .05), as was infectious/obstructive respiratory disease, 10.5% in veterinarians, 3% in controls (P less than .025). Only 13 of 257 veterinarians had respiratory symptoms related to animal contact; of these, seven experienced only allergic rhinitis while six reported both asthma and rhinitis. Animal-related allergic rhinitis was found more frequently in laboratory animal veterinarians than among veterinarians in farm, pet, or poultry practice. No symptoms typical of hypersensitivity pneumonitis were reported in veterinarians, nor were precipitins to animal antigens demonstrable.

Humans↗
PubMed1984

Occupational asthma due to poultry mites.

The possible role of the northern fowl mite (NFM) in occupation-related respiratory disease of poultry workers was examined. The study population included 16 poultry workers with workplace-associated asthma and rhinitis, 27 atopic individuals with similar symptoms but no occupational exposure to poultry, and 12 asymptomatic nonatopic poultry-exposed controls. Ten of the 16 atopic poultry workers had immediate wheal-and-flare reactions to NFM, as compared with two of 27 non-poultry-exposed controls (p less than 0.001). In cutaneous testing with five poultry-related antigens, the NFM was the most reactive. On skin tests, four atopic poultry workers were positive for NFM and negative for Dermatophagoides farinae; four workers were negative for NFM and positive for D. farinae. Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) showed specific IgE levels for NFM, with positive RAST scores in 60% of poultry workers having positive skin tests. A provocative bronchial test with NFM extract in a poultry worker having positive NFM skin test and RAST score resulted in an immediate 25% reduction in the FEV1 and a 62% fall in forced expiratory flow volume at 25% of vital capacity. Collectively, the established presence of NFM in the poultry workplace, associated clinical histories, positive cutaneous tests, positive specific-IgE assays, and positive bronchial challenge combine to establish a role for NFM in occupational allergic respiratory disease of poultry farmers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Occupational asthma in poultry workers.

Sixteen poultry workers with poultry house--related rhinitis and/or asthma underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation that included history and physical examination, skin tests with common inhalant and PAg, total- and specific-IgE levels, and pulmonary-function studies. Sixteen age- and sex-matched atopic subjects who were not occupationally exposed to poultry and 12 asymptomatic veterinarians with occupational exposure to poultry served as controls. Rhinitis and asthma developed only in symptomatic poultry workers after exposure to poultry; only in these individuals could immediate wheal-and-flare reactions to poultry antigens be detected (p less than 0.001). The elapsed time between the initial poultry exposure and the onset of poultry house--related symptoms averaged 10 yr. In the symptomatic poultry workers, immediate skin test reactivity and RAST reactions were most frequently associated with NFM. The association between respiratory symptoms temporally related to poultry house exposure and the demonstrable IgE antibody-mediated reaction suggests a relationship between the two.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Immunoregulation in hypersensitivity pneumonitis: phenotypic and functional studies of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes.

We examined the immunologic phenotype and function of bronchoalveolar lymphocytes isolated from 4 pigeon breeders who developed symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis on exposure to pigeons, and 6 asymptomatic but equally exposed individuals. Similar numbers of bronchoalveolar lymphocytes were found in symptomatic breeders compared with the asymptomatic, and the percent of T11, T4, and T8 bearing cells as well as the T4/T8 ratios were similar in both groups. Despite these similarities, the groups had significantly different functional activity. Bronchoalveolar lymphocytes from symptomatic breeders demonstrated a marked (p less than 0.001) increase in blastogenic activity to both phytohemagglutinin and pigeon serum stimulation when compared with asymptomatic breeders. In addition, enriched bronchoalveolar T-cells suppressed the response of autologous preincubated peripheral blood lymphocytes to both phytohemagglutinin and pigeon serum in the asymptomatic compared with the symptomatic breeders. These studies suggest a discrepancy between the phenotype and function of immunoregulatory T-cell subsets in bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes in pigeon breeder's disease, and support a role for functional immunoregulatory imbalances in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The relative value of skin tests and radioallergosorbent test in the diagnosis of bee sting hypersensitivity.

The relative diagnostic value of ST and RAST was evaluated in 97 patients with BSH. Eighteen patients had LRs, 79 showed SRs including 18 with urticaria, 26 had bronchospasm, and 35 had anaphylactic shock. ST but not the RAST reactivity was strongly related to the severity of the clinical reaction (p less than or equal to 0.001) and found superior to the RAST in identifying patients with SRs in whom venom therapy was indicated.

Aging↗