Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Aug 21:9:1176.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01176. eCollection 2018.

Hemoglobin and Erythropoietin After Commercial Saturation Diving

Fatima Z Kiboub  1   2 , Costantino Balestra  3 , Øyvind Loennechen  2 , Ingrid Eftedal  1   4
Affiliations

Hemoglobin and Erythropoietin After Commercial Saturation Diving

Fatima Z Kiboub et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Saturation divers are exposed to elevated partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2) in their hyperbaric work environment. Experimental studies indicate that oxygen transport is altered, and we have previously reported a drop in hematocrit and extensive downregulation of genes involved in blood oxygen transport capacity after decompression from professional saturation diving. Here we investigate the initial period of hematological adjustment back to normobaric air after professional saturation diving. Erythropoietin (EPO) and hemoglobin (Hb) were measured in blood from 13 divers at two time-points after saturation assignments lasting up to 4 weeks; first immediately after decompression and again 24 h later. Pre-dive levels defined baselines. The ppO2 varied from 40 kPa in the saturation chambers during storage, 50 to 80 kPa during bell excursions, and gradually reduced to 21 kPa during decompression to surface pressure. EPO was similar to baseline immediately after saturation diving (P = 0.4), and markedly increased within the next 24 h (99%, P < 0.0002). Hb levels remained slightly reduced at both time-points (4% immediately after; P = 0.02, 8% 24 h after; P < 0.001). The results imply that the hematological acclimatization back to normobaric air was ongoing, but not completed, during the first 24 h after professional saturation diving.

Keywords: hematology; hyperoxia; hypoxia; normobaric oxygen paradox; saturation diving.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
(A) Hb and (B) EPO levels 0 h post-dive and 24 h post-dive expressed as percentages of pre-saturation diving levels (dotted line) in 13 saturation divers. Error bars are ± SE. ∗P ≤ 0.01; ∗∗P ≤ 0.001; ∗∗∗P ≤ 0.0001 and NS, non-significant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Balestra C., Germonpre P., Poortmans J., Marroni A., Schiettecatte J., Collard J. F.et al. (2004). Erythropoietin production can be enhanced by normobaric oxygen breathing in healthy humans. Undersea Hyperb. Med. 31 53–57. - PubMed
    1. Billett H. H. (1990). “Hemoglobin and hematocrit,” in Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations eds Walker H. K., Hall W. D., Hurst J. W. (Boston, MA: Butterworths; ). - PubMed
    1. Cimino F., Balestra C., Germonpre P., De Bels D., Tillmans F., Saija A.et al. (2012). Pulsed high oxygen induces a hypoxic-like response in human umbilical endothelial cells and in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 113 1684–1689. 10.1152/japplphysiol.00922.2012 - DOI - PubMed
    1. De Bels D., Theunissen S., Devriendt J., Germonpré P., Lafere P., Valsamis J., et al. (2012). The ‘normobaric oxygen paradox’: does it increase haemoglobin? Diving Hyperb. Med. 42 67–71. - PubMed
    1. Deb S., Burgess K., Swinton P., Dolan E. (2017). Physiological responses to prolonged saturation diving: a field-based pilot study. Undersea Hyperb. Med. 44 581–587. 10.22462/11.12.2017.9 - DOI - PubMed