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

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)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, 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-alpha (p=0.007), IL-1 beta (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-alpha (p=0.003), IL-1 beta (p=0.012) and IL-6 (p=0.001) levels.Conclusions: Sarcopenic patients exhibit elevated levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, 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.