What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated how bubbles in the bloodstream activate the immune system by measuring a specific marker (RBC-bound C3d) after people did single or repetitive deep air dives.
What They Found
Out of 39 dives, no cases of decompression sickness occurred. The study found that a marker of immune system activation (RBC-bound C3d) did not increase after a single 20-minute dive to 170 feet of sea water, but it did increase significantly (P less than 0.05) after two such dives separated by a 6-hour surface interval. However, the amount of bubbles detected in the veins did not directly relate to this immune system activation.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This research suggests that repetitive deep dives, even without causing decompression sickness, can trigger an immune response in the body. For Canadian divers, understanding these underlying physiological changes could contribute to safer diving practices and potentially inform future strategies for preventing decompression-related issues.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. No direct Canadian connection or authors were identified.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is that no cases of decompression sickness occurred, which prevented direct observation of complement activation in actual DCS events.