Randomized controlled trial of exercise and blood immune function in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors

The objective was to determine the effects of exercise training on changes in blood immune function in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Fifty-three postmenopausal breast cancer survivors were randomly assigned to an exercise (n=25) or control group (n=28). The exercise group trained on cycle ergometers three times per week for 15 wk. The control group did not train. The primary end point was change in natural killer cell cytotoxic activity in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Secondary end points were changes in standard hematological variables, whole blood neutrophil function, the phenotypes of isolated mononuclear cells, estimations of unstimulated and phytohemaglutinin-stimulated mononuclear cell function (rate of [3H]thymidine uptake), and the production of proinflammatory [interleukin (IL)-1alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6] and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor-beta1). Statistical tests were two-sided (alpha <0.05). Fifty-two participants completed the trial. Intention-to-treat analyses, which included the baseline value as a covariate, showed significant differences between groups for change in percent specific lysis of a target natural killer cell at all five effector-to-target ratios (adjusted mean between-group change over all 5 effector-to-target ratios = +6.34%; P <0.05 for all comparisons), the lytic activity per cell (adjusted mean between-group change = -2.72 lytic units; P=0.035), and unstimulated [3H]thymidine uptake by peripheral blood lymphocytes (adjusted mean between-group change = +218 per dpm x 10(6) cells; P = 0.007). There were no significant differences between groups for change in any other end point. Exercise training increased natural killer cell cytotoxic activity and unstimulated [3H]thymidine uptake by peripheral blood lymphocytes in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.