Exercise-induced neutrophil activation in claudicants: a physiological or pathological response to exhaustive exercise?

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of exhaustive exercise on neutrophil activation and degranulation in claudicants and controls. We investigated the hypothesis that neutrophil activation and degranulation are normal responses to exhaustive exercise in healthy patients.

DESIGN

This was a controlled experimental two-group study.

MATERIALS

Exercise was performed using a fixed workload treadmill test. Neutrophil activation was assessed by flow cytometry of whole blood labelled with anti-CD11b mouse IgG, and neutrophil degranulation in terms of plasma elastase measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

METHODS

Twenty-eight claudicants with stage 1 chronic leg ischaemia, and 22 healthy controls were recruited. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after treadmill exercise. Claudicants exercised to their maximum walking distance, and controls at a higher "fatigue" workload for a maximum of 20 min.

RESULTS

Exercise produced a brief but significant neutrophilia in both groups. Neutrophil CD11b expression increased significantly after exercise only in the claudicants, and was associated with a significant rise in plasma neutrophil elastase. These indices remained unchanged in the control group at all time points despite exercise at a fatigue level.

CONCLUSION

The inflammatory response associated with exercise in claudicants is not simply a physiological response to exhaustive exercise.