AUTHOR=Lozada-Mellado Mariel , Llorente Luis , Hinojosa-Azaola Andrea , García-Morales José M. , Ogata-Medel Midori , Alcocer-Varela Jorge , Pineda-Juárez Juan A. , Castillo-Martínez Lilia 

TITLE=Comparison of the Impacts of a Dynamic Exercise Program vs. a Mediterranean Diet on Serum Cytokine Concentrations in Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis. A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.834824

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.834824

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease characterized by a chronic inflammatory state. High pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are associated with disease activity. Exercise and the Mediterranean diet (MD) exert anti-inflammatory effects; however, their impacts on inflammation in RA patients remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the effects of six-months of dynamic exercise program (DEP) vs. MD on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine serum concentrations.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial in which 90 women with RA were randomly assigned to the DEP (<italic>n</italic> = 30), MD (<italic>n</italic> = 30), or control group (<italic>n</italic> = 30). All patients received pharmacological treatment. Serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, TNF-β, IL-1β, IL-6 pg/mL) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10, IL-Ra pg/mL) cytokines were measured at baseline and after 6 months using the Luminex technique.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>After 6 months of follow-up, we found an improvement of the median percentages changes concentrations of TNF-α (DEP, −12.3; MD, −13.3; control, 73.2; <italic>p</italic> = 0.01), TNF-β (DEP, −67.4; MD, −54.9; control, 0; <italic>p</italic> = 0.04), and IL-6 (DEP, −19.9; MD, −37.7; control, 45.5; <italic>p</italic> = 0.04) in the DEP and MED groups in comparison with control group. IL-1Ra concentrations increased only in the MD group (13.8) compared to levels in the control group (−31.7), <italic>p</italic> = 0.04. There were no statistically significant differences between DEP and MD groups. Only <italic>n</italic> = 27 participants in the DEP group, <italic>n</italic> = 26 in the MD group, and <italic>n</italic> = 21 in the control group completed the follow-up.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The DEP and the MD have potential effects in the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with those in a control group. Only the MD elevated the concentration of IL-Ra.</p></sec><sec><title>Clinical Trial Registration</title><p>[<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://clinicaltrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ClinicalTrials.gov</ext-link>], identifier [NCT02900898].</p></sec>