Effects of an exercise intervention on immunologic parameters in frail elderly nursing home residents.
BACKGROUND
Aging is associated with decline in both cell-mediated and humoral immunity and may contribute to increased incidence and severity of infections in frail elderly. Exercise, depending on intensity, has significant effects on the immune system. We conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial of a 32-week functionally oriented exercise program in frail elderly living in nursing homes and determined whether the exercise intervention was associated with a change in immune parameters in this frail elderly nursing home population.


METHODS
Nursing home residents were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 94) and control group (n = 96). The intervention consisted of a functionally oriented endurance and resistance exercise training that was provided every 2 hours from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM for 5 days a week for 8 months. Lymphocyte subpopulations, including activation markers (CD28, CD25, HLA-DR), in vitro proliferation, and soluble products of cytokine activity (neopterin and sTNF-RII) in serum were measured by taking blood samples at baseline and after 8 weeks and 32 weeks of the intervention.


RESULTS
Exercise training did not induce changes in lymphocyte subpopulations, activation markers (CD28, CD25, HLA-DR), in vitro proliferation, and soluble products of cytokine activity (neopterin and sTNF-RII) in serum.


CONCLUSIONS
A 32-week exercise intervention did not bring about beneficial or detrimental effects on immune parameters in the frail elderly nursing home population and may explain why the intervention was not associated with a change in the incidence of infections in the intervention group compared with the control group.
Kapasi
Zoher F
ZF
Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Center for Health in Aging, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. zkapasi@emory.edu
Ouslander
Joseph G
JG
Schnelle
John F
JF
Kutner
Michael
M
Fahey
John L
JL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010807:Physical Endurance; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D012995:Solubility; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II