Enhanced serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and -6 in sarcopenia: alleviation through exercise and nutrition intervention

Abstract

Background: Limited research has been conducted on the post-intervention inflammatory status in sarcopenic patients, despite previous studies revealing elevated pro-inflammatory markers. This study aimed to investigate the potential elevation of specific pro-inflammatory cytokines in sarcopenic patients and evaluate the effects of exercise and nutritional support interventions on these cytokine levels. Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 57 individuals with sarcopenia from the RCT and 57 non-sarcopenic participants from the same geriatric community cohort that did not participate in the RCT were enrolled. Grip strength and body composition measurements were recorded. Tumor necrotizing factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-15 levels were assessed at baseline for both groups and after a 12-week intervention consisting of resistive exercise and supplementation with branched-chain amino acids, calcium, and vitamin D3 in the patients with sarcopenia. Results: The sarcopenic group demonstrated significantly lower body weight, body mass index, grip strength, and skeletal muscle mass index. Moreover, sarcopenic patients exhibited higher levels of TNF-α ( p =0.007), IL-1β ( p <0.001), and IL-6 ( p <0.001), while no significant difference was observed in IL-15 ( p =0.345) between participants with and those without sarcopenia. Following the intervention, the sarcopenic group experienced significant improvements in grip strength and skeletal muscle mass index with a notable reduction in TNF-α ( p =0.003), IL-1β ( p =0.012) and IL-6 ( p =0.001) levels. Conclusions: Sarcopenic patients exhibit elevated levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, which declined after nutrition support and exercise interventions. However, further research is necessary to evaluate the long-term impact of these interventions on cytokine levels.

Systemic Inflammation in Oncologic Patients Undergoing Systemic Treatment and Receiving Whey Protein-Based Nutritional Support

“…Circulating cytokine level modulation using diet interventions has been suggested in different clinical scenarios; for example, some studies have reported decreased IL-6 levels after the consumption of low-calorie diet, berry, whole wheat and polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with metabolic syndrome [ 47 ], decreased IL-6 levels after supplementation with branched-chain amino acids, calcium and vitamin D3 in patients with elderly sarcopenia [ 48 ], or decreased IL-18 levels after Mediterranean diet and supplementation with very long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in men with high-risk of atherosclerosis (despite mild changes in body composition parameters) [ 49 ]. In contrast, in this study we did not observe significant changes in circulating cytokine levels after three months of nutritional support; far from considering this fact as a treatment failure, it represents a positive clinical response to nutritional treatment, since all patients were receiving systemic treatment during the study period, and despite this, circulating cytokine levels did not increase, as could be expected.…”

The impact of sarcopenia on the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer and potential strategies to overcome resistance

“…Elevated levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and CRP have been identified as potential contributors to the unfavorable outcomes of sarcopenia in PD-1 inhibitor treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that sarcopenic patients exhibit higher levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and CRP ( Lee et al, 2007 ; Koshikawa et al, 2020 ; Pan et al, 2021 ; Shokri-Mashhadi et al, 2021 ; Chang et al, 2023 ). IL-6 is primarily produced by monocytes-macrophages, T helper 2 cells (TH2), and other cells, and it plays a role in the differentiation of immune cells.…”

Tumor-Derived Sarcopenia Factors Are Diverse in Different Tumor Types: A Pan-Cancer Analysis

“…Cancer-associated muscle wasting is a complex pathological condition involving numerous organs. However, a large number of early studies on cancer-associated muscle wasting focused on circulating inflammation mediators and muscle tissue [6,7].…”