title: Salivary IL-21 and IgA responses to a competitive match in elite basketball players.
abstract: Athletes engaged in strenuous training might experience transient immune suppression that could lead to greater incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Since interleukin 21 (IL-21) stimulates immunoglobulin A (IgA) secreting cells and a low level of this immunoglobulin is associated with increased incidence of URTI, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a basketball match on salivary cortisol (sC), salivary IL-21 (sIL-21) and salivary IgA (sIgA) levels. Twenty male basketball players participated in an official game in two teams (10 players in each team). The saliva samples were collected before the warm-up and approximately 10-15 min after the end of the match and were analysed by ELISA methods. sC concentration increased significantly after the match while sIL-21 level was reduced (p < 0.05). In opposition to the study's hypothesis, sIgA level did not change in response to the match. The present findings suggest that a basketball match is sufficiently stressful to elevate sC concentration and attenuates the sIL-21 output without compromising the sIgA level. It is reasonable to speculate that the stability of sIgA acute responses to the match, despite the decrement in sIL-21, indicates that other mechanisms rather than IL-21 stimulating B cell proliferation/differentiation might modulate IgA concentration and secretion rate.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: R F P
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Bacurau
authors.affiliation: São Leopoldo Mandic Institute and Research Center, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Napimoga
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A F S
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Pinheiros Sport Club, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.affiliation: School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aoki
keywords: immunoglobulin; interleukin; mucosal immunity; saliva; stress
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