A promising method for the diagnosis of preclinical hypoxic state

BACKGROUND: The state of hypoxia in natural conditions occurs in certain cases and is considered as a negative process in the overwhelming majority of cases. However, exogenous hypoxia is used as a factor of adaptation / preconditioning and training to the forthcoming hypoxic stress under some conditions, as well as increasing physical endurance and working capacity in normoxic conditions among specialists of various profiles. The mechanisms of adaptation to exogenous hypoxia have been studied in detail. Earlier in our studies, the value of artificial exogenous normobaric hypoxic hypoxia, which does not have a negative effect on the human body, was determined.

AIM: The aim of this work was to determine hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) as a possible marker of adaptation to normobaric hypoxic hypoxia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 100 days, 6 test volunteers were continuously in a sealed residential test room based on the test bench of ASM JSC (St. Petersburg) in a state of normobaric hypoxic hypoxia (oxygen content 12–20%).

RESULTS: No clinically significant erythrocyte response to long-term exposure to normobaric hypoxic respiratory mixture was expectedly detected, although statistically significant fluctuations in the level of hemoglobin and the absolute number of erythrocytes were determined. When analyzing the HIF-1α concentration, qualitative data were obtained, characterizing a significant response (p < 0.05) in the change in HIF-1α concentration during the observation period. Additionally, a Kendall consistency factor of 0.68 was calculated, suggesting a significant difference in HIF-1α concentration dynamics.

CONCLUSIONS: The chosen mode of hypoxia can be used as a method of exogenous preconditioning.