title: Protective role of 17-β-estradiol towards IL-6 leukocyte expression induced by intense training in young female athletes.
abstract: Exercise performed at a competitive level could deeply modify the immune system and the cytokine response of athletes. In this report, we demonstrated that young elite female artistic gymnasts (n = 16; age: 9-15 years) showed an increase of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA expression in blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), in comparison to girls performing the same sport at a recreational level (n = 16; age: 10-15 years). The increase of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNAs appeared to be directly linked to the intensity and duration of the training. Moreover, in elite athletes engaged in artistic gymnastics or in synchronised swimming (n =34; age: 9-15 years), IL-6 gene expression appeared to be modulated by the levels of circulating oestrogens: pre-pubertal athletes (n = 20; age: 11 ± 1 years) revealed a higher increase in IL-6 than pubertal athletes (n = 14; age: 14 ± 1.6 years). In pre-pubertal athletes, body mass index (BMI) percentile was inversely correlated with the increase of both IL-6 and TNF-α. The consequence of these events was the shift of the cytokine profile towards a pro-inflammatory status. These modifications, induced by training performed at an elite level, might negatively affect the growth of female children athletes.
authors.affiliation: a Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine , University of Milan , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tringali
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scurati
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michielon
authors.forename: Giampietro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Venerando
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006173:Gymnastics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011627:Puberty; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D004958:Estradiol; D007372:Interferons