Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Inflammation and Immune Activation Profile of Antiretroviral Therapy-Experienced Children Living With HIV

• Published in: Pediatric exercise science Vol. 32; no. 2; p. 73
• Main Authors: Gopalan, Bindu P, Dias, Mary, Arumugam, Karthika, D'Souza, Reena R, Perumpil, Mathew, Kulkarni, Prasanna, Ranga, Udaykumar, Shet, Anita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Biomarkers - blood; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - cytology; Child; Cytokines - blood; Exercise; Female; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - immunology; Humans; India; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - diagnosis; Male; Retrospective Studies; Running; Yoga; India; exercise; soluble biomarkers; sCD14; running and yoga; tumor necrosis factor alpha
• ISSN: 1543-2920
• DOI: 10.1123/pes.2019-0126

To compare the markers of inflammation and immune activation in virally suppressed HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy, who practiced regular structured exercise comprising running and yoga to those who did not over a 2-year period. This retrospective cohort study included 72 children aged 8 to 16 years divided into 2 groups, exercisers (n = 36) and the nonexercisers (n = 36) based on their intentional physical activity. The analyses were carried out at baseline and after 2 years (Y2) for the soluble biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interferon gamma, sCD14, and sCD163). In addition, cell-associated biomarker (CD38), lipopolysaccharides, and the gene expression of interleukin-2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were also measured at Y2. Reduction in levels of sCD14 (effect size [ES], -0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.08 to -0.14), tumor necrosis factor alpha (ES, -0.7; 95% CI, -1.18 to -0.23), interferon gamma (ES, -0.7; 95% CI, -1.17 to -0.22), and interleukin-10 (ES, -0.6; 95% CI, -1.08 to -0.14) was observed among exercisers as compared with nonexercisers at Y2. In addition, CD38+ expressing CD4+ T cells were found to be lower among exercisers (P = .01) at Y2. However, the differences in levels of interleukin-6, sCD163, lipopolysaccharides, interleukin-2, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were not significantly different among the 2 groups. The study result suggests that regular structured physical activity improves the inflammatory profile of antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV-infected children.