Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has been attracting attention as a monocyte/macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory cytokine. We developed the SEK-5001 system as a novel diagnostic immune function test, which measures TNF-α production within a few hours after stimulation with a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) . Preliminary investigation of the SEK-5001 system confirmed its usefulness.
In this study, we investigated the effect of exercise on the TNF-α level, and compared the level with the values of other blood components to investigate an in vivo factor that might affect the low-dose LPS-induced TNF-α production. There was no temporal effect on the TNF-α production induced by a low-dose LPS for one month, but the level was affected by age and light exercise. This system detected light exercise-induced changes in the TNF-α level more sensitively than changes induced by a high-dose LPS.
We are planning to measure the TNF-α level using the SEK-5001 system in patients with various disorders to establish a novel practical immune function test for clinical use.
