Immunological parameters in elderly women: correlations with aerobic power, muscle strength and mood state.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to relate immunological data for healthy but sedentary elderly women to aerobic power, strength, and mood state.


METHODS
We measured peak aerobic power and one-repetition maximum strength along with mood (depression and fatigue), quality of life and carbohydrate intake on 42 women aged 60-77 years. Standard immunological techniques determined natural killer cell count and cytotoxic activity (NKCA), proliferative responses to phytohemaglutinin and OKT(3), various lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3(+), CD3(-)CD19(+), CD56(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD56(dim) and CD56(bright)), and markers of activation, maturation, down-regulation and susceptibility to apoptosis (CD25(+), CD28(+), CD45RA(+), CD45RO(+), CD69(+), CD95(+), HLA-DR(+)).


RESULTS
Correlations of immune parameters with aerobic power and strength were very similar for absolute and relative immunological data. In the group as a whole, the only correlation with aerobic power was -0.35 (relative CD4(+)CD69(+) count), but in subjects with values <22.6 mL kg(-1)min(-1) correlations ranged from -0.57 (relative CD4(+)CD45RO(+)) to 0.92 (absolute CD56(dim)HLA-DR(+)). In terms of muscle strength, univariate correlation coefficients ranged from -0.34 (relative and absolute CD3(+)CD4(+)CD8(+)) to +0.48 (absolute CD3(+)HLA-DR(+)) and +0.50 (absolute CD8(+)CD45RA(+)CD45RO(+)). Neither NKCA nor lymphocyte proliferation were correlated with aerobic power or muscle strength. Although mood state and quality of life can sometimes be influenced by an individual's fitness level, our multivariate analyses suggested that depression, fatigue and quality of life were more important determinants of immune profile than our fitness measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological changes associated with aging may have a substantial adverse effect upon the immune system, and immunological function may be enhanced more by addressing these issues than by focusing upon aerobic or resistance training.
Department of Experimental Pathophysiology, Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo, FMUSP, Brazil. vraso@usp.br
Vagner
V
Raso
Valéria Maria
VM
Natale
Alberto José da Silva
AJ
Duarte
Júlia Maria D'Andrea
JM
Greve
Roy J
RJ
Shephard
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D003863:Depression / Q000276:immunology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000276:immunology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D057185:Sedentary Behavior