Infection is the major cause of health impairment in elderly persons. Immune function declines with age. In order to keep the elderly in good health, it is necessary to control the age-associated decline of their immune function. Components of a non-specific immune system arc neutrophils, macrophages and NK cells. A specific immune system is composed of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. T lymphocytes differentiate in the thymus. Age-associated atrophy of the thymus causes a decline in T lymphocyte function. It is essential in aging of the immune system. B lymphocytes produce immunoglobulin to act as antibodies. With aging, abnormal antibodies such as autoantibodies and monoclonal immunoglobulin increase, and the number of normal antibodies compared to foreign antigens decrease. Exercise influences the autonomic nervous system, hypothalamo-hypophyseal system, and immune system. Moderate exercise enhances immune function, and severe exercise causes immune function decline. Immune function declines after a severe single bout of exercise, and an “open window” of infections occurs. Appropriate exercise training may improve immune function. Recently, it was shown that exercise training for one year increased the contents of secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva in elderly persons. This result suggests that long-term exercise training improves immune function in elderly persons.

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between underwater and land-based exercise in leg muscle activity. Nine healthy males (mean age : 21.7±0.5 years, mean height : 173.4±2.2 cm) had electrodes placed on their left leg muscles (Tibialis Anterior ; TA, Medial Gastrocnemius ; MG, Soleus ; SOL, Rectus Femoris ; RF, and Biceps Femoris ; BF), and their muscle activity was measured during various exercises. The subjects performed six types of exercise such as the forward walk, backward walk, squat, calf raise, leg range, and one leg wave, both in the water (waist level) and on land. These exercises were categorized as 3 types of leg movement according to direction ; horizontal, vertical, and mixed movement.
In the forward walk and backward walk, categorized as horizontal movements, the integrated electromyogram (IEMG) significantly increased during underwater exercise compared with on land. In the squat, as a vertical movement, the IEMG showed a similar change under both conditions. In the calf raise, as a vertical movement, and leg range and one leg wave, as mixed movements, the IEMG significantly decreased during underwater exercise compared with on land. These results suggest that leg muscle activity during underwater exercise is different based on the movement direction of the legs. In a word, it was apparent that movement in a horizontal direction underwater provides greater activity for leg muscles than on land; but movement in a vertical and/or mixed direction underwater provides less activity for leg muscles than on land. In prescribing an exercise program, it may be helpful to understand the differences between underwater and land-based exercise in leg muscle activity.

[Objective] The aim of this investigation was to evaluate salivary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responses during a competitive period among female football players.
[Methods] Subjects were college female football players (n=9) . Saliva and blood samples were collected at 18 : 00 (6 : 00 pm) and the profile of mood state (POMS) was recorded during a period of normal training (Pre), 3 days of competition (Competition), and a recovery period (Post) . Levels of salivary DHEA, cortisol, and serum creatin kinase (CK), urea nitorogen (UN), were determined.
[Results] The levels of salivary DHEA significantly increased during competition (2 nd days) compared with Pre (p<0.05), and significantly decreased after competition compared with Pre (p<0.05) . The levels of salivary cortisol significantly increased during the competition (2 nd and 3 rd days) compared with Pre (p<0.05) . Whereas it decreased after competition compared with Pre. The levels of serum CK significantly increased during the competition (2 nd days) compared with Pre (p<0.05) . The levels of serum UN did not change during the study. The fatigue score of POMS significantly increased during competition (2 nd days) compared with Pre (p<0.05) .
[Conclusion] These data suggest that DHEA could be a useful endocrinological indicator for evaluating training status in female athletes.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of long-term exercise training on immune function in elderly individuals. This study was conducted on 27 sedentary subjects including 7 males and 20 females aged 66.1±4.2 yrs. (range of 60 to 77 yrs.) who participated in a 12-month exercise program. The subjects attended the exercise program 4.4 ± 1.7 times per month. Peripheral blood samples were taken prior to, and at 5 and 12 months during the exercise training program. Each lymphocyte subset (natural killer: NE, T, cytotoxic T: Tc, helper T: Th, memory-Th and NKT) count in the samples was measured using flow cytometry. Results indicated that NE and Tc cell counts were not significantly altered. Whereas, T and Th cell counts were significantly elevated after 12 months, and memory-Th and NET cell counts were significantly elevated after 5 and 12 months of exercise training. These results suggest that long-term exercise training may be a stimu lus to increase and or maintain immune function in elderly individuals.

Objective: This study aimed to verify the utility of simple, safe, and effective venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis and implement it with few adverse events during cesarean delivery. Methods: This single-center, prospective study involved pregnant women who underwent cesarean deliveries from August 3, 2020 to March 31, 2022. Patients with VTE risk factors were initially administered unfractionated heparin (5,000 international unit [IU] subcutaneously, twice daily), 6 hours after cesarean delivery. Subsequently, they were administered enoxaparin (2,000 IU subcutaneously, twice daily). They were not administered anticoagulants if one or more of the exclusion criteria were met. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of symptomatic VTE. The primary safety outcome was the incidence of major bleeding. Results: Out of the 850 women eligible for this study, 551 (64.9%) had one or more VTE risk factors and 299 (35.1%) had no risk factors. Of the 551 women with one or more VTE risk factors, 15 met one or more exclusion criteria for enoxaparin administration. A total of 314 women received only perioperative mechanical prophylaxis, including 15 who met the exclusion criteria for anticoagulants and 299 without VTE risk factors. During implementation of the protocol, no woman developed symptomatic VTE after cesarean delivery. Major bleeding occurred in only one woman who received postoperative anticoagulants. Conclusion This protocol, which clarified the administration of anticoagulants according to VTE risk factors and dose reduction/discontinuation criteria, may be an effective and safe VTE prophylaxis for cesarean deliveries.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC)-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by consolidation chemotherapy in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIB/IVA cervical cancer patients. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of FIGO stage IIIB/IVA cervical cancer patients (n=30) who had been intended to be treated with TC-based CCRT followed by consolidation chemotherapy (TC-CCRT-group) from April 2012–May 2016. Patients who had been treated with CCRT involving a single platinum agent (CCRT-group; n=52) or definitive radiotherapy alone (RT-group; n=74) from January 1997–September 2012 were also identified and used as historical controls. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients included in the TC-CCRT-group, 22 patients (73.3%) completed the planned TC-based CCRT. The most frequently observed acute grade 3/4 hematological toxicities were leukopenia and neutropenia, and diarrhea was the most common acute grade 3/4 non-hematological toxicity. After a median follow-up of 35 months, 9 patients (30.0%) had developed recurrent disease. The patients' estimated 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 67.9% and 90.8%, respectively. In comparisons with historical control groups, the survival outcomes of TC-CCRT-group was significantly superior to CCRT-group in terms of OS (p=0.011) and significantly superior to RT-group in terms of both PFS (p=0.009) and OS (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: TC-based CCRT followed by consolidation chemotherapy is safe and effective. A randomized controlled study needs to be conducted to further evaluate the efficacy of this multimodal approach in this patient population.
Carboplatin* ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Consolidation Chemotherapy* ; Diarrhea ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Neutropenia ; Obstetrics ; Paclitaxel* ; Platinum ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

A statistical study on effects of laser-puncture was carried out. In addition, an attempt was made to compare between the effect of acupuncture and this method. The treatments were under-taken for various chronic and acute cases with pain. In the laser-puncture treatment, two types of laser (i, e. low energy 10mW laser and 70mW sharp laser) were used. Laser-beam was given to 20-30 points which were located in painful areas, innervating nerve areas and remote areas for 40 sec for each.
In the open study, 10mW laser-puncture was effective (including ‘rather effective’) in 64% of the cases, and 70mW laser-puncture 73%. In the blind test, ‘the day’ evaluation showed that the laser-punctures were more effective than placebo treatment: 10mW laser-puncture was effective in 80% of the cases, and placebo in 67%. 70mW laser-puncture was effective in 87% of them, and placebo in 80%. In situ acupuncture was effective in 97%, and no effect was seen in 7%.
Only ‘the day’ evaluation in the open study showed that 70mW laser-puncture was more effective than 10mW one. In the blind best, 10mW and 70mW laser-puncture were more effective than placebo, and in situ acupuncture was more effective than the laser-punctures, but there were no significant differences among the three treatmets.