A Scoping Review on the Effects of Physical Exercise and Fitness on Peripheral Leukocyte Energy Metabolism in Humans.

Background: Both acute and chronic exercise have profound effects on systemic metabolism and the immune system. While acute exercise transiently disturbs energy homeostasis and elicits acute inflammation, exercise training improves systemic metabolic capacity, lowers basal inflammation, and reduces infection risk. Accordingly, accumulating evidence indicates links between systemic and immune cell metabolism and suggests that cellular metabolism may be an important way exercise influences immune function. Yet, no reviews have systematically surveyed the literature in this area. Aims: The aims of this scoping review were to collect, summarize, and provide descriptive analysis of literature on the effects of acute exercise, chronic exercise, and physical fitness on peripheral leukocyte energy metabolism of human adults. Methods: Reports were retrieved from the databases Pubmed, Scopus, and Embase and hierarchically filtered for eligibility. Eligible reports were those that implemented acute or chronic exercise interventions, or assessed physical fitness, in relation to the regulation or function of leukocyte energy metabolism in human adults. Data were charted from eligible reports by two independent reviewers, confirmed by conference, and organized for reporting. Results & Conclusion: Results suggest acute exercise can influence the regulation and function of leukocyte metabolism, with some similarities to what has been previously documented in skeletal muscle. Data also evidence that exercise training and/ or physical fitness alters cellular metabolic regulation and function. Improvements in markers of cell respiratory function or mitochondrial regulation were frequently observed following training or with greater fitness. However, notable gaps in the literature remain. These gaps include: the effects of acute exercise and exercise training on leukocyte glycolysis, the effects of resistance and concurrent exercise, and potential differences in the effects of exercise between immune cell types and subsets. Future research is encouraged to fill the latter gaps and further delineate how exercise influences the immune system and can be used to support overall health.

Relationships between T-lymphocytes and physical function in adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Results from the HEALTH4CLL pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Examine physical function and T-cell phenotype in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) before and after a physical activity (PA) intervention. METHODS: Physical function measures and blood samples were collected from CLL patients (Rai stage 0-4, 50% receiving targeted therapy, N = 24) enrolled in a 16-week intervention of at-home aerobic and/or resistance exercise. Flow cytometry characterized T-cells in cryopreserved peripheral blood cells. Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared physical function and T-cell phenotype at baseline and 16-weeks; Kendall's Tau assessed associations between variables. RESULTS: Godin leisure-time PA score increased from baseline to 16-weeks (mean difference: 14.61, p < .01) and fatigue decreased (mean difference: 6.71, p < .001). At baseline, lower fatigue correlated with a lower proportion of CD8+ T-cells (τ = 0.32, p = .03) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) inversely correlated with the percentage of PD-1+CD8+ T-cells (τ -0.31, p = .03). At 16-weeks, CRF inversely correlated with the proportion of PD-1+CD4+ T-cells (τ -0.34, p = .02). Reduced fatigue at 16-weeks correlated with an increased CD4:CD8 ratio (τ = 0.36, p = .02) and lower percentage of HLA-DR+PD-1+CD4+ T-cells (τ = -0.37, p = .01). CONCLUSIONS: This intervention increased leisure-time PA and decreased fatigue in CLL patients. These changes correlated with an increased CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio and reduced proportion of T-cells subsets previously associated with poor outcomes in CLL patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02194387.