Diagnostic Algorithm for the Risk of Dermatosis Occurrence in Athletes

Summary: The investigation had the aim to evaluate the effect of professional sports on the functional condition of the skin in order to develop a diagnostic algorithm for the risk of skin diseases occurrence in athletes. We examined 182 people: 126 athletes and 56 non athletes within the period of 2013 to 2014. Athletes were divided into 3 groups comparable in the sex and age composition, with the average age of 23.4±0.6 years old. The 1st group comprised 77 athletes of water sports (swimmers, water polo players and pentathlets), the 2nd group comprised 49 not aquatics athletes. We used microbiological tests: Method of contact inoculation, washing off method, a testing system in the real time PCR format and biophysical tests: Corneometry and sebumetry.
Results: The species composition of the staphylococcal microflora in the 1st and 2nd groups (χ2=22.7, p<0.001), аs well as that in the 1st and 3rd groups (χ2=12.8, p<0.05) was positively different. In the 1st group S. aureus prevailed, in the 2nd group the S. epidermidis, and in the 3rd group - both. The highest dissemination of the Malassezia species yeast was revealed in the 1st group (61.5%) and in the 2nd group (61.8%). The frequency for revealing P. acnes, granulosum and avidum both in athletes and in the control group was 100%. The indices of corneometry and sebumetry on the athletes skin, independently of the water factor effect, were positively lower than in the 3rd group (t=1.7, p<0.05).