Competitive athletes often present musculoskeletal injuries, some of these nontraumatic. Usually these injuries are attributed to mechanical factors. The present study aimed to investigate a group of handball players and check a possible action of immune-inflammatory and hormonal factors in the genesis of these lesions. Laboratory parameters were studied measuring in the plasma the concentration of plasma hormones and neurotransmitters, and production "in vitro" of cytokines and prostaglandin E2. The results indicate that in 29% of the athletes included in the study the occurrence of nontraumatic musculoskeletal injuries was observed. In this group there was an increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines assayed in the supernatant of culture of peripheral blood cells with increased concentrations of IL-1, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-α, as well of prostaglandin E2.
cytokines; sports; nontraumatic injuries
