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. 2023 Oct 4:14:1252506.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1252506. eCollection 2023.

Influence of age and fitness level on immune responses of T and NK cells in healthy physically active subjects after strenuous aerobic exercise: a cross-sectional study

Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto  1   2 , Ciro Alexandre Mercês Gonçalves  1 , Phelipe Wilde  1 , Jason R Jaggers  3 , Geraldo Barroso Cavalcanti Júnior  1   4 , Valéria Soraya de Farias Sales  1 , Radamés Maciel Vitor Medeiros  2 , Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas  1   2 , Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral  1   2
Affiliations

Influence of age and fitness level on immune responses of T and NK cells in healthy physically active subjects after strenuous aerobic exercise: a cross-sectional study

Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze whether immune responses after strenuous exercise are influenced by chronological age and fitness level in physically active healthy men.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample of 32 physically active men. Participants were divided into two groups based on chronological age (younger: age 21.8 ± 1.8 vs. older: age 34.6 ± 8.3) and subsequently regrouped and divided based on fitness level (More conditioned: excellent and superior VO2max vs. Less conditioned: VO2max: weak, regular and good). Fitness was classified according to VO2max levels obtained by a treadmill test using a gas analyzer. Before and immediately after the ergospirometry test, blood samples were collected for evaluation of immunological markers: leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes and subpopulations.

Results: Chronological age had a moderate effect on CD3+CD4+ lymphocyte count (effect size: 0.204) and CD4/CD8 ratio (effect size: 0.278), favoring older subjects. The level of physical fitness had no significant effect on the analyzed immunological markers.

Conclusions: Immune responses observed immediately after strenuous exercise may be more dependent on chronological age than on fitness level in healthy, physically active men.

Keywords: immune system; leukocytes; lymphocytes; neutrophils; physical activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study Flowchart. (A) Influence of age and physical fitness level on pre and post strenuous exercise immunological responses. (B) Fitness level groups were divided based on strenuous exercise.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphical representation of dot-plot histograms obtained by flow cytometry of T-Helper, T-Cytotoxic and Natural Killer cell lymphocyte subpopulations. (A) Double labeling (CD3+/CD4+) showing the percentage of T-Helper T lymphocytes; (B) Double staining (CD3+/CD8+), showing the percentage of T- Cytotoxic lymphocytes; (C) Double staining (CD16-56+/CD3+), showing strong positivity for CD16/56 for Natural Killer (NK) Cells and CD3 for total T lymphocytes.
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