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Impaired lymphocyte stimulation induced by long-term training
1Istituto di Scienze Morfologiche, Università di Urbino, Italy.
Immunology Letters
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Intense athletic training, a model for physical stress, alters immune cells. Stress hormones impact immune cell subsets, particularly impairing the function of helper T-cells in response to stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology and Endocrinology
- Exercise Physiology
- Neuroendocrinology
Background:
- Growing interest in hormone effects on the immune system.
- Physical stress serves as a model to study neuroendocrine-immune interactions.
- Neuroendocrine factors modulate the lymphoid cellular compartment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define stable modifications in the immune system of athletes during intense training.
- Investigate the impact of stress hormones on immune cell subsets.
- Assess functional changes in immune cell responses.
Main Methods:
- Studying athletes undergoing agonistic training.
- Analyzing circulating immune cell subsets.
- Evaluating proliferative responses of immune cells after stimulation with PHA and PWM.
Main Results:
- Circulating immune system compartments show modulation of different subsets.
- Continuous exposure to stress hormones influences immune cell modulation.
- A specific functional impairment was observed in the helper T-cell subset's proliferative response.
Conclusions:
- Endurance training and associated stress hormones induce stable changes in immune cell populations.
- Stress hormones significantly impact immune cell function, particularly helper T-cells.
- These findings highlight the intricate relationship between physical stress, hormones, and immune system regulation.