Effect of ballet on immunity in young people

The peripheral blood samples obtained from 32 ballet students with a mean age of 17.5 years and 32 age-matched non- dancers who comprised a control group were analysed using the microdeterminations of lymphocyte blast transformation and mixture rosette forming cells. The percentage of lymphocyte blast transformation of ballet students was normal, but their percentage of E-rosette forming cells was lower than that of controls at rest. A significant increase in the percentage of zymosan-complement rosette forming cells was seen during dancing. The study suggests that a saving effect on expenditure of cellular immunofunction is exhibited in ballet students at rest and that intensive ballet-exercise induces an immediate humoral immune response change. However, the effect needs to be dynamically observed and the clinical implication of the response change remains to be proved.