Physical activity reduces circulating TNF-alpha but not pro-thrombotic factors levels in patients with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Aims The metabolic syndrome (MS) creates a pro-inflammatory state. Some cytokines increase their levels in patients with MS, among them tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). On the other hand, MS is associated with a pro-thrombotic state in which increased levels of fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) have been described. We tested the hypothesis that an intervention based on physical activity in adults with MS would reduce TNF-alpha, and the thrombogenic factors fibrinogen and PAI-1. Materials and Methods We studied 51 non-smoking subjects, both genders, between 39 and 62 years old. All of them presented MS and were randomly separated into two groups: Intervened-MS group (I-MS, n = 27), who participated in an 18-week intervention based on exercise and dietary counseling, and non-intervened MS group (NI-MS, n = 24), as control. Biochemical and anthropometric parameters were determined at baseline and at final time (18 weeks). Results The intervention decreased the TNF-alpha serum levels (expressed as median and interquartile range IQR) from basal 3.6 (IQR = 2.1) to a final level of 1.7 (IQR = 1.8) pg/ml, in comparison to the NI-MS group: basal 4.0 (IQR = 1.8) to final 4.7 (IQR = 10.5) pg/ml ( p < 0.0001). On the contrary, this treatment did not produce changes in the pro-thrombotic factors fibrinogen and PAI-1, although variations in PAI-1 were associated with changes in waist circumference ( p = 0.026) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( p = 0.04). Conclusion Our results suggest that a non-pharmacological intervention program based on physical exercise is effective in reducing TNF-alpha levels in patients with MS, but had no effect regarding the levels of the pro-thrombotic factors PAI-1 and fibrinogen.