title: Complement activation during saturation diving.
abstract: In this study, the levels of activated complement fragments C3a and C5a were measured on 11 U.S. Navy divers as they performed a 28-day saturation dive to a pressure equivalent of 1,000 feet of seawater (fsw, 31.3 atm abs). Two subjects developed symptoms consistent with the high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) and three were treated for type I DCS (joint pain only). These events allowed us to test two hypotheses: a) alterations in C3a or C5a levels during compression are related to the occurrence of HPNS and b) increases in complement fragments are an indicator of decompression stress associated with type I DCS. There was no correlation between changes in C3a and C5a levels during compression and the diagnosis of HPNS. Our results suggest that an increase in C3a and C5a levels during saturation diving correlates with decompression stress and the clinical diagnosis of type I DCS.
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20889-5607.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gartner
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mink
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dutka
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis*; D003182:Complement C5 / Q000032:analysis; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006610:High Pressure Neurological Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D003182:Complement C5