Abstract

Whole-body cryotherapy with subsequent kinesiotherapy evokes positive anti-inflammatory effects in case of patients with locomotor system inflammatory disorders, however, the mechanism of this effect has not been satisfactorily explained so far. One of the essential laboratory indicators of the inflammatory process activity is distribution of serum protein fractions. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of whole-body cryotherapy on proteinogram parameters in the patients with ankylosing spondylitis.32 males with ankylosing spondylitis participated in the trial. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups of 16 persons who did not significantly differ with regard to age, duration and severity of the disease. Both groups underwent ten whole-body cryotherapy procedures with subsequent kinesitherapy or only 10 kinesitherapy procedures. On the first day before the beginning of the treatment cycle and on the first day after treatment completion blood samples were collected from the patients in order to determine the total protein concentrations and the share of particular serum protein fractions.On completion of the whole-body cryotherapy treatment cycle a statistically significant increase in alpha2-globulins share and a decrease in beta1-globulins share in serum proteinogram were observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.In patients with ankylosing spndylitis whole-body cryotherapy treatment corrects proteinograms in a different way than kinesitherapy does. The changes in the share of particular proteinogram fractions in patients subjected to cryotherapy are most probably related to the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of cryogenic temperatures.

Key words:

ankylosing spondylitis, whole-body cryotherapy, proteinogram