A Case Series Tries to Answer Whether Exercise Positively Influences Immunosenescence
Binoy M K V1, Jagatheesan Alagesan1
1Physiotherapy, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, IND.
Insights
Balance-based exercise showed slight, non-significant improvements in immune cell counts (CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8) in elderly women, suggesting potential but requiring further study for immunosenescence.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gerontology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Immunosenescence, the decline of the immune system with aging, increases elderly vulnerability to infections.
- T-lymphocytes, including CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, are crucial immune components affected by aging.
- Physical exercise is hypothesized to positively influence immune cell composition and combat immunosenescence.
Observation:
- This case series examined an eight-week supervised, balance-based exercise intervention in two elderly women.
- Immune biomarkers (CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8) were measured before and after the intervention using flow cytometry.
- The study focused on individuals in an institutional setting, a population often experiencing significant immunosenescence.
Findings:
- Following the intervention, increases in CD45, CD3, CD4, and CD8 cell counts were observed compared to baseline.
- These improvements in immune cell counts were statistically non-significant, indicating only slight changes.
Implications:
- While balance-based exercise may offer some benefits for immune function in the elderly, the observed changes were marginal.
- Further research with larger sample sizes and varied exercise protocols is needed to confirm the efficacy of exercise in mitigating immunosenescence.
- These findings highlight the complexity of exercise interventions and their impact on the aging immune system.
Abstract:
The immune system, the defense mechanism of the body, mainly consists of lymphocytes. The three primary subtypes of lymphocytes are natural killer cells (NK cells), bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B-lymphocytes), and thymus-derived lymphocytes (T-lymphocytes). T-lymphocytes are mostly composed of CD (cluster of differentiation) cells, such as CD4+ and CD8+ subsets of CD cells. Immunosenescence is the term for the steady decline of the immune system with aging. There are alterations in the composition of various types of lymphocytes, especially in CD4 and CD8 T cells. The elderly are more vulnerable to infections due to immunosenescence, which raises morbidity and mortality rates. Physical exercises are believed to have the potential to alter immunosenescence and produce positive changes in immune cell composition. The extent of exercise-induced immune function changes was different in research studies owing to the differences in protocols, methodologies, testing procedures, ages, and gender compositions. The impact of an eight-week balance-based exercise intervention on immune biomarkers is investigated in this case series. In this case series, two elderly women residing in an institutional setting were exposed to an eight-week-long balanced-based supervised exercise intervention. The immunological biomarkers CD45, CD3, CD4, and CD8 were the outcome variables that were assessed. Data on the outcome variables was gathered both before and after the intervention. Using flow cytometry and single-platform technology, immune biomarkers were analyzed. Following the intervention, there was a rise in the CD45, CD3, CD4, and CD8 cell counts relative to the baseline data. The biomarkers showed only slight and statistically non-significant improvements.
More Related Videos
07:52Assessment of Murine Exercise Endurance Without the Use of a Shock Grid: An Alternative to Forced Exercise
Published on: August 14, 2014
10:19Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Published on: August 22, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Immunological Memory
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature...
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
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...
