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Published on: February 24, 2011
Mechanisms of B-lymphocyte suppression induced by acute physical exercise
N Tvede1, C Heilmann, J Halkjaer-Kristensen
1Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Intense exercise temporarily suppresses B-lymphocyte function, reducing immunoglobulin production. This effect, linked to activated monocytes rather than T-lymphocytes, resolves within 24 hours post-exercise.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Exercise Physiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Physical activity impacts immune cell function.
- B-lymphocyte function is crucial for humoral immunity.
- Understanding exercise-induced immune modulation is important for health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of acute exercise on B-lymphocyte function.
- To identify immune cells or factors responsible for exercise-induced changes in B-lymphocyte function.
- To explore the role of monocytes and prostaglandins in exercise-induced immune suppression.
Main Methods:
- Blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 20 healthy volunteers before, during, and after 1 hour of bicycle exercise at 80% VO2 max.
- B-lymphocyte function was assessed using a reverse plaque forming cell assay with various stimuli (pokeweed mitogen, IL-2, EBV).
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze lymphocyte subsets (CD20, CD4/CD8) and monocyte activation markers (CD14, HLA-DR).
Main Results:
- Immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM, IgA) secretion by B-lymphocytes significantly decreased during and 2 hours after exercise, returning to baseline at 24 hours.
- B-lymphocyte numbers (CD20+) and T-lymphocyte subsets (CD4/CD8 ratio) did not show significant changes that correlated with B-cell suppression.
- Increased CD14-positive monocytes with higher HLA-DR expression were observed post-exercise, and indomethacin suggested prostaglandin involvement in IL-2 stimulated cultures.
Conclusions:
- Acute exercise transiently suppresses B-lymphocyte immunoglobulin secretion.
- Activated monocytes, potentially via prostaglandins, appear to mediate this suppression, not changes in lymphocyte numbers.
- Immune function recovers to baseline levels within 24 hours after strenuous physical activity.
Abstract:
Blood mononuclear cells from 20 healthy untrained volunteers were isolated before, during, 2 hr and 24 hr after bicycle exercise at 80% of VO2 max for 1 hr. A reverse plaque forming cell assay was used to investigate B-lymphocyte function. Stimulation with pokeweed mitogen, recombinant interleukin 2 and Epstein-Barr virus resulted in significant decreases in numbers of IgG-, IgM- and IgA-secreting blood cells during as well as 2 hr after exercise, with reversal to pre-exercise values 24 hr later. During and after physical activity we found an unchanged concentration of CD20-positive B lymphocytes suggesting that the suppression of immunoglobulin secreting cells was not due to changes in numbers of B lymphocytes. A decline in CD4/CD8 ratio was measured only during exercise with normalization after exercise. Therefore the B-lymphocyte suppression, most pronounced 2 hr after exercise, was presumably not due to changes in T lymphocytes also indicated in the experiments using EBV-stimulated cultures since EBV acts directly on B lymphocytes. 2 hr after physical activity an increased level of CD14-positive monocytes were observed and the monocytes expressed higher levels of surface HLA-DR during as well as 2 hr after exercise. Addition of indomethacin caused an increased response only in the IL-2 stimulated cultures, suggesting that IL-2-sensitive activated B lymphocytes are downregulated by prostaglandins. Purified B lymphocytes produced plaques only after EBV-stimulation, and in these cultures no exercise-induced suppression was found, likewise suggesting an inhibitory effect of the activated monocytes.
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