title: Impact of a competitive marathon race on systemic cytokine and neutrophil responses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether cytokines and neutrophils mediate exercise-related pathogenesis, we examined their responses and possible association after exhaustive exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma and urine samples were obtained from 10 male runners before and after a 42.195-km marathon race. Major cytokines and neutrophil activation markers [myeloperoxidase (MPO) and lactoferrin (LTF)] were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Functional modulation of standard neutrophils and monocytes by plasma was determined on their luminol-dependent chemiluminescence responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The race induced peripheral neutrophilia accompanied by an increase in band neutrophils and monocytosis. Plasma MPO and LTF concentrations increased significantly by 1.8 and 1.4 times after the race. There was a greater increase in urine concentrations of MPO and LTF, 12.3 and 3.5 times after exercise, respectively, suggesting that neutrophil activation occurred and that renal clearance exceeded the increase in plasma concentrations. Plasma interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage CSF (M-CSF), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) increased significantly after the race, and urine IL-1beta, IL-6, G-CSF, M-CSF, and MCP-1 increased significantly. The plasma IL-6 responses correlated with the increases of band neutrophil count (r = 0.860, P < 0.01), suggesting IL-6-mediated bone marrow release of neutrophils. Furthermore, the increases in urine MPO concentration were correlated with increases in urine IL-6 (r = 0.868, P < 0.01) and G-CSF (r = 0.875, P < 0.01), suggesting that these cytokines promoted neutrophil activation. However, preincubation of neutrophils and monocytes with postexercise plasma could not cause priming responses, possibly because of the exercise-induced enhancement of plasma antioxidant activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although many cytokines recruiting and priming neutrophils and monocytes were secreted and functional after exhaustive exercise, overwhelming antioxidant and antiinflammatory defenses were induced, preventing exercise-induced oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakaji
authors.forename: Mutsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurakake
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumae
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugawara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants; D018925:Chemokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D005609:Free Radicals