title: Physical activity level in Achilles tendinosis is associated with blood levels of pain-related factors: a pilot study.
abstract: Physical activity affects the pain symptoms for Achilles tendinosis patients. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and their receptors have been detected in human Achilles tendon. This pilot study aimed to compare serum BDNF and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) levels in Achilles tendinosis patients and healthy controls and to examine the influence of physical activity, and BMI and gender, on these levels. Physical activity was measured with a validated questionnaire, total physical activity being the parameter analyzed. Physical activity was strongly correlated with BDNF among tendinosis women [Spearman's rho (ρ)=0.90, P<0.01] but not among control women (ρ=-0.08, P=0.83), or among tendinosis and control men. Physical activity was significantly correlated with sTNFRI in the entire tendinosis group and among tendinosis men (ρ=0.65, P=0.01), but not in the entire control group or among control men (ρ=0.04, P=0.91). Thus, the physical activity pattern is related to the TNF and BDNF systems for tendinosis patients but not controls, the relationship being gender dependent. This is new information concerning the relationship between physical activity and Achilles tendinosis, which may be related to pain for the patients. This aspect should be further evaluated using larger patient materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Section for Anatomy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. johan.bagge@anatomy.umu.se
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bagge
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gaida
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alfredson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forsgren
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C109186:tumor necrosis factor (1-12)