CHANGES IN THE POPULATIONS OF LYMPHOID-CELLS IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD FOLLOWING PHYSICAL EXERCISE

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (2) , 420-427
Abstract
Marked lymphocytosis occurs after exercise. In a study of healthy volunteers this was dominated by 1 population lacking T cell and B cell determinants and another expressing the Leu 2a phenotype (cytotoxic/suppressor). Lymphocytes from 2 individuals were characterized further and a near 5-fold increase in cells expressing antigens associated with natural killer (NK) cells (leu 7 and Leu 11) was noted. These emergent lymphocytes, unlike most T cells, lacked acid .alpha. naphthyl esterase activity. In functional studies, exercise led to significantly greater NK activity but, in spite of altering the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations, there was no detectable change in the proliferative response to the T cell mitogen, concanavalin A, over a wide range of cell concentration, mitogen dose and time. The numbers of low density macrophages and dendritic cells increased concomitantly with the increase in total lymphocytes. Evidently, exercise increases the proportion of circulating NK cells and cells expressing the Leu 2a phenotype.