title: Low-grade inflammation and spinal cord injury: exercise as therapy?
abstract: An increase in the prevalence of obesity in people with spinal cord injury can contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation and increase the risk of infection in this population. A decrease in sympathetic activity contributes to immunosuppression due to the lower activation of immune cells in the blood. The effects of physical exercise on inflammatory parameters in individuals with spinal cord injury have not been well described. We conducted a review of the literature published from 1974 to 2012. This review explored the relationships between low-grade inflammation, spinal cord injury, and exercise to discuss a novel mechanism that might explain the beneficial effects of exercise involving an increase in catecholamines and cytokines in people with spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Campus São Paulo, 04020-050 São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: da Silva Alves
authors.forename: Valdir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Aquino Lemos
authors.forename: Francieli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruiz da Silva
authors.forename: Fabio Santos
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lira
authors.forename: Ronaldo Vagner Thomathieli
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: João Paulo Pereira
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Erico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caperuto
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
authors.forename: Marco Tulio
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: de Mello
mesh_terms: D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D009765:Obesity / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D016207:Cytokines