Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 28, 2025

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
08:44

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis

Published on: September 7, 2022

2.7K

Relationship between children physical activity, inflammatory mediators and lymphocyte activation: possible impact of

Murilo Merlin1,2, Heloisa Helena de Oliveira1, Maria Elizabeth Pereira Passos1

  • 1Interdisciplinary Post-Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Institute of Physical Activity Sciences and Sports, Cruzeiro do Sul University, Rua Galvao Bueno, 868, Liberdade, Sao Paulo, SP 01506-000 Brazil.

Sport Sciences for Health
|November 30, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children with higher daily steps (DS) show an anti-inflammatory immune profile, particularly with regulatory T cells (Treg). Lower DS and increased adiposity, exacerbated by social isolation, may impair immune function and increase inflammation susceptibility.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric immunology
  • Exercise physiology
  • Obesity research

Background:

  • Immune response is modulated by lifestyle and body composition.
  • Daily steps (DS) can serve as a low-cost health indicator in children.
  • Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic may impact children's physical activity and health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare plasma adipokine levels and lymphocyte cytokine production in children with varying daily steps (DS).
  • To explore the potential impact of COVID-19-related social isolation on children's immune profiles.
  • To establish DS as a monitoring tool for children's health status.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty children were categorized into sedentary (low DS) and active (high DS) groups based on pedometer data.
  • Plasma and lymphocytes were isolated from participants.
  • Cytokine production from cultured lymphocytes was analyzed to assess immune response.

Main Results:

  • The sedentary group exhibited lower adiponectin and higher leptin plasma concentrations.
  • Sedentary children showed higher lymphocyte production of IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-, and IL-2, indicating a Th1-dominant response.
  • The active group displayed higher IL-10 production and a greater percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg).

Conclusions:

  • Higher daily steps in children are associated with an anti-inflammatory immune profile, especially involving Treg cells.
  • Reduced physical activity and increased adiposity due to social isolation can compromise immune function.
  • Impaired immune function may heighten susceptibility to inflammatory diseases in children.
Abstract

Keywords:
AdipokinesChildhood obesityInflammationMobility reductionPhysical activitySocial isolation

More Related Videos

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

10.7K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.2K

Related Concept Videos

T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
1.8K
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
13.1K
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
96
Bullying02:04

Bullying

A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.7K
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease01:27

Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a multidisciplinary field that examines how psychological factors, particularly stress, interact with the immune system and impact physical health. Research in PNI has shown that chronic or traumatic stress can disrupt both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. These disruptions contribute to serious health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases.
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
200
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
10.6K