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Doping control has been conducted since 1980 in athletic events in Japan. Twelve athletes had been found in violation of anti-doping rules by the end of 2008. Among them, five cases were disclosed to be administered or assisted by athlete support personnel. To provide athlete support personnel with updated and accurate information on anti-doping rules, the anti-doping handbook "To Be Clean Athletes" was published in 1997 and has been revised several times. The rate of positive tests in the past 11 years was 0.11%, which suggests the information and education program for doping-free athletics has been effective in the Japanese Athletics Federation. It should be stressed that sports doctors in national sports federations will work to provide up-dated anti-doping information to other athlete support personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide healthcare and sports medicine services to all participants in Tokyo Marathon 2007, the Tokyo Marathon Medical Committee was established for the risk management of the athletes' health. This Committee, responsible for the biggest Marathon race in Japan, provided primary and emergency care from the start to the finish, including 16 medical stations, 43 of automated external defibrillators (AED) , roving medical bicycles with AED and doctors' runners among the participants. There were 1,192 visits to the medical stations and 2 cardiac arrests occurred. Both of the victims were rescued by by-stander CPR and AED and they were discharged from hospital without any complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been 13 sudden death cases reported in and during road races or marathons over the past 2 and half years in Japan. Of these, the typical case is that of 'a middle aged man dropping dead just before the finish line in a half marathon race due to an acute cardiovascular event'. The most probable cause of death was ventricular tachyeardia and ventricular fibrillation. The organizers of the road race events were advised to provide automatic external defibrillators and to introduce mobile medical teams at their races. The participants were also advised to have medical checkups, consultation with doctors if necessary, and self-checkup before participating in the races. It is particularly important to advise participants not to exert themselves excessively in their races. This advice and information is available on the website of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND--7S collagen, an N-terminal peptide of type IV collagen, is a primary constituent of the basement membrane. To evaluate whether the serum concentration of 7S collagen reflects the severity of inflammatory lung disease, the serum concentration of 7S collagen was measured in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). METHODS--A radioimmunoassay was used for the measurement of 7S collagen. Gas exchange abnormality was expressed as the arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) divided by the fractional concentration of inspired oxygen (FiO2). RESULTS--The mean (SD) concentration of 7S collagen was 2.7 (0.9) ng/ml in 10 healthy subjects, 5.0 (1.5) ng/ml in 11 patients with IPF, and 14.8 (9.7) ng/ml in 13 patients with ARDS. Significant differences were observed between the patients with ARDS and both healthy subjects and the patients with IPF. In the patients with ARDS serum concentrations of 7S collagen were strongly related to PaO2/FiO2 (r = -0.61). Moreover, the mean (SD) serum concentration of 7S collagen in the eight patients with ARDS who died (19.5 (10.2) ng/ml) was considerably higher than that of the five who survived (7.1 (2.1) ng/ml). CONCLUSION--These results suggest that serum levels of the 7S fragment of type IV collagen may have some prognostic value in ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) including exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and airway hyperresponsivenss (AHR) is increasing not only among normal population but also among athletes and prevention of these attacks are just as life saving and crucial for the athlete. The negative impact on athletic performance and the effect of inhaled corticosteroids and ƒÀ2-agonists are factors to providing prevention strategies in these athletes. Objective To determine the prevalence of BA (including silent BA) and develop an effective protocol to detect BA and provide preventive measures in elite athletes. Methods Asthma questionnaires and spirometry were conducted for all regardless of their clinical history. Bronchodilator tests were administered to those who met our criteria of past history, suspicious symptoms, values of FEV1%, and concave shape of flow-volume curves. Bronchial provocation tests were held to detect EIB and AHR in some athletes with suspicious symptom. IOC-criteria were used to consider those tests to be positive. Diagnosis of BA was made by consideration of all factors. Participants 347 male and 305 female Japanese elite athletes participating at the Beijing Olympic Games 2009 and the Vancouver Olympic Games 2010. Main outcome measurements Detecting BA and silent BA is important to prevent BA attacks and begin early intervention strategies in elite athletes in view of their performance and doping violence. Results 21 athletes met IOC criteria in bronchodilator test. The provocation test was positive for asthma in four cases. The prevalence of BA among Japanese elite athletes was 12.1%. Number of Asymptomatic athletes diagnosed as BA reached to 2.9%. Conclusion The prevalence of BA among Japanese elite athletes is similar to prevalence of athletes reported and our protocol can sufficiently detect BA and silent BA as well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The patient population receiving long-term oxygen therapy has increased with the rising morbidity of COPD. Although high-dose oxygen induces pulmonary edema and interstitial fibrosis, potential lung injury caused by long-term exposure to low-dose oxygen has not been fully analyzed. This study was designed to clarify the effects of long-term low-dose oxygen inhalation on pulmonary epithelial function, edema formation, collagen metabolism, and alveolar fibrosis.Methods: Guinea pigs (n = 159) were exposed to either 21% or 40% oxygen for a maximum of 16 weeks, and to 90% oxygen for a maximum of 120 hours. Clearance of inhaled technetium-labeled diethylene triamine pentaacetate (Tc-DTPA) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid-to-serum ratio (BAL/Serum) of albumin (ALB) were used as markers of epithelial permeability. Lung wet-to-dry weight ratio (W/D) was measured to evaluate pulmonary edema, and types I and III collagenolytic activities and hydroxyproline content in the lung were analyzed as indices of collagen metabolism. Pulmonary fibrotic state was evaluated by histological quantification of fibrous tissue area stained with aniline blue.Results: The clearance of Tc-DTPA was higher with 2 week exposure to 40% oxygen, while BAL/Serum Alb and W/D did not differ between the 40% and 21% groups. In the 40% oxygen group, type I collagenolytic activities at 2 and 4 weeks and type III collagenolytic activity at 2 weeks were increased. Hydroxyproline and fibrous tissue area were also increased at 2 weeks. No discernible injury was histologically observed in the 40% group, while progressive alveolar damage was observed in the 90% group.Conclusion: These results indicate that epithelial function is damaged, collagen metabolism is affected, and both breakdown of collagen fibrils and fibrogenesis are transiently induced even with low-dose 40% oxygen exposure. However, these changes are successfully compensated even with continuous exposure to low-dose oxygen. We conclude that long-term low-dose oxygen exposure does not significantly induce permanent lung injury in guinea pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping is strongly prohibited in sports. Since the implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code, anti-doping movements have been harmonized across countries and sports. Substances and methods are listed in the Prohibited List International Standard. The Code permits athletes and their physicians to apply for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) to use substances or methods in the Prohibited List. Physicians as athlete support personnel should be well informed about the Code and International Standards and they should adequately prescribe medicine to athletes and submit TUE application forms when required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]