Use of Saliva in Alternative to Serum Sampling to Monitor Biomarkers Modifications in Professional Soccer Players.

We aimed to investigate the correlation between serum and salivary concentrations of steroid hormones and IgA, and the variation in concentrations of these biomarkers, across a soccer competitive season in a sample of players playing for an Italian major League team. Thirty-five elite male soccer players were recruited and assessed for salivary hormones (cortisol, testosterone, T/C‰ and DHEA-S) and IgA at three different time-points: (t) after the pre-season period and 16 official matches played; (t) after a winter break and three official matches played; (t) 2 days after the final match of the championship and 19 matches played. Players were also tested for blood biomarkers (ser-C, ser-T, ser-T/C‰, ser-IgA, ACTH) at two detection times (t and t).

Age- and sex-based reference ranges for non-invasive ventricular repolarisation parameters.

Background: Some electrocardiographic parameters are able to assess indirectly ventricular repolarisation homogeneity. It is consequently essential to discriminate between normal and abnormal values in clinical decision-making. Considering there is still not a consensus about normal cut-off values, the aim of this study was to document reference intervals in all age groups of a healthy population, providing for age- and sex-percentile tables, which can be used easily and quickly in clinical practice.

Behavior of repolarization variables during exercise test in the athlete's heart.

Background: T peak-T end, QT peak/QT ratio and T peak-T end/QT ratio are markers able to test myocardial repolarization homogeneity, their increase has been related to a higher risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. These parameters have not yet been studied in left ventricular hypertrophy due to training. Aim of the research was to test the behavior of these variables in the athlete's heart during exercise.

Novel electrocardiographic parameters of altered repolarization in uncomplicated overweight and obesity.

In addition to well-known electrocardiographic measurements, as QT, QT dispersion, and QT apex dispersion, new parameters such as Tpeak-Tend, Tpeak-Tend dispersion, and Tpeak-Tend/QT ratio have been recently introduced as indexes of increased arrhythmic risk. The aim of the present study was to test, in overweight and obese subjects not affected by conditions of comorbidity, the aforementioned markers of ventricular repolarization. We studied 60 athletic subjects with normal body weight (21 females and 39 males, BMI between 19 and 24, mean BMI 22.