PROINFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND FLIGHT HOURS: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS.

INTRODUCTION: A higher prevalence of back complaints in flying personnel compared to the general population is well documented. Various causes have previously been described. While standard analysis approaches including clinical testing, imaging-based evaluation and electrophysiological testing are well established, the role of laboratory analyses are less known. As part of a larger study intended to explore the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and blood serum analytes, this study sought to evaluate the relationship between flight hours and relevant laboratory parameters. METHODS: Eighty military pilots and aircrew members were evaluated over a three-year period during their routine health check-ups. The sample was divided into 2 groups based on the median flight hours (150 hours/year). Independent samples T-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to assess differences in blood serum analytes between groups. RESULTS: The group of aviators showed different mean values for Interleukin-12 (IL-12), Macrophage Derived Chemokine (MDC), Monocyte Inflammatory Protein-1α, (MIP1-α), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A), and Placental Growth Factor (PlGF). CONCLUSION: These results, supported by past literature, suggest that increased flight hours correspond with elevated levels of proinflammatory serum analytes. Additional research is needed to determine whether the changes in serum analytes correspond with severity of musculoskeletal pain/injury. Learning Objectives 1. The participant will learn that a relationship may exist between amount of flight hours and changes in proinflammatory serum analytes. 2. The participant will discuss the function of the serum analytes that differed based on flight hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]