Publication details
Reduced thymic output in elite athletes
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Brain, Behavior, and Immunity |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2014.01.004 |
| Field | Oncology and hematology |
| Description | Athletes undergoing intensive training schedules have chronic exposure to stress-induced hormones such as cortisol that can depress immune function. We compared the circulating levels of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC), a marker of recent thymic emigrants, as well as the levels of naive and memory subsets in a group of elite endurance athletes and in controls. The athletes showed a reduction in absolute numbers of naive T cells, articularly in CD4 T cells. In contrast, memory cells were increased. TREC levels in the athletes were significantly reduced compared to age-matched controls. Such changes resemble premature ageing of the T cell component of the immune system. Since thymic production of T cells naturally decline with age, these results raise the concern that prolonging high intensity exercise into the 4th decade of life may have deleterious consequences for athletes’health. |