Impact of Exercise Modalities on Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Immunology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a key biomarker of innate immunity and inflammation.
• Its role in training adaptations and response to exercise is unclear, with conflicting study results.
• PTX3 is linked to muscle mass, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and acute exercise on PTX3 levels.
• To investigate exercise training's impact on PTX3 in different age groups.
• To clarify PTX3's role in exercise-induced inflammation and adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search using Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar.
• Inclusion of randomized controlled trials examining exercise effects on PTX3.
• Meta-analysis of data from eligible studies.

Main Results:

• Aerobic training significantly increased PTX3 levels (SMD = 0.71, p = 0.01).
• Resistance training significantly reduced PTX3 levels (SMD = -0.69, p = 0.0001).
• HIIT showed no significant change in PTX3 (SMD = 0.086, p = 0.70).
• Exercise training elevated PTX3 in individuals over 50 (SMD = 1.124, p = 0.014) but not younger participants (SMD = -0.156, p = 0.526).

Conclusions:

• Aerobic and resistance exercise have opposing effects on PTX3, indicating distinct inflammatory pathway modulation.
• Different training modalities influence muscle metabolism and repair pathways via PTX3.
• Acute exercise may transiently increase PTX3 to manage exercise-induced inflammation.