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Doping Detection through Haematological Parameters and D-dimer Levels amongst Athletes and Sports Administrators in
Olufemi Adegbesan1, Titilola S Akingbola2, Ade Fatai Adeniyi3
1Department of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Insights
Nigerian athletes show higher lymphocyte counts than neutrophils, with no doping detected by the OFF-hr score. Elevated D-dimer levels warrant further investigation into thrombotic status in athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Anti-doping Science
- Hematology
Background:
- The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) utilizes complete blood count (CBC) parameters for doping detection.
- Longitudinal monitoring of CBC parameters is crucial for identifying deviations indicative of doping.
- There is limited data on CBC parameters specific to Nigerian athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and analyze CBC parameters in Nigerian athletes and sports administrators.
- To assess doping indicators using the OFF-hr score.
- To investigate D-dimer levels in athletes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study involving 144 athletes and sports administrators.
- Collection of socio-demographic data via questionnaire.
- Analysis of CBC, reticulocyte count, and D-dimer levels post-training session.
- Calculation of OFF-hr score to assess doping probability.
Main Results:
- Athletes exhibited higher lymphocyte counts compared to neutrophil counts.
- The OFF-hr score indicated normal ranges for most participants (87.6%); none exceeded the doping threshold (>125.6).
- D-dimer levels were significantly higher in athletes (median 1.3 µg/L) compared to controls (<0.4 µg/L), with no gender difference.
Conclusions:
- Athletes characteristically present with higher lymphocyte than neutrophil counts.
- The OFF-hr score did not identify any doping cases in this cohort.
- Elevated D-dimer levels necessitate further research into the thrombotic status of athletes.
Background:
The haematology module is an important component of the Athlete Biological Passport, which is being used by World Anti-doping Agency in doping detection. This module consists of complete blood count (CBC) parameters, which are measured in a longitudinal manner and deviation from the established pattern may indicate doping. There is a paucity of data on CBC parameters in Nigerian athletes.
Aims:
The aim of this study, therefore, was to measure and analyse CBC parameters in a group of athletes and sports administrators in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria.
Materials And Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive study of 144 athletes and sports administrators in a training centre was undertaken. A closed-ended structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data, and samples were taken for CBC and D-dimer assay. The participants' blood samples were taken after a training session. CBC, reticulocyte count and D-dimer were run. OFF-hr score was calculated and values >125. 0 were considered to suggest doping. CBC parameters were compared between both genders using Student's t-test. Significance value was set at P ≤ 0.05.
Results:
The athletes had relatively higher lymphocyte counts than neutrophil counts. The group OFF-hr score shows that the majority (134/154, 87.6%) had normal range values, while 5 (3.3%) had values >104.6. None of the participants had a score >125.6, which indicates doping. D-dimer level was comparable between both genders, but the median value (1.3, interquartile range: 3.4 µg/L) was significantly higher than that of the control sample <0. 4 µg/L).
Conclusion:
Athletes tend to have higher lymphocyte counts than neutrophil counts. The OFF-hr score did not indicate doping in any athlete. More research should be conducted to understand the thrombotic status of athletes because of high dimer levels found in this study.
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