http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9861597

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Dec;30(12):1666-71.Click here to read Links
    Effects of weight loss and exercise training on natural killer cell
activity in obese women.
    Scanga CB, Verde TJ, Paolone AM, Andersen RE, Wadden TA.

    Biokinetics Research Laboratory, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
19122, USA. csca...@clear.net.nz

    PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were two-fold: (1) to evaluate the
effects of an 8-wk weight loss program on natural killer (NK) cell activity
in obese women and 2) to determine whether an additional program of
combined aerobic and resistance exercise training modified the effects of
caloric restriction on immune function. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy obese
women with a mean weight of 96.9 +/- 14 kg and age of 38 +/- 7 yr were
randomly assigned to diet-alone (D) or diet-plus-exercise training (D + EX)
conditions. Subjects consumed 950 kcal.d-1 using prepackaged
portion-controlled foods. Subjects in the D + EX group participated 3
times.wk-1 in a supervised program of light-to moderate-intensity aerobic
activity and resistance training. Data were analyzed using a repeated
measures ANOVA. RESULTS: After 8 wk of treatment, body weight decreased
significantly in both groups (10.8% in D vs 11.4% in D + EX), whereas
absolute and relative VO2peak increased in only D + EX (12.3% in D vs 57.7%
in D + EX). Both groups experienced significant decreases in peripheral
blood leukocytes and lymphocytes, although cell numbers remained within
clinically normal range at week 8. NK cell (CD56+) proportion was unchanged
in both groups after weight loss. The proportion of peripheral mononuclear
cells expressing the interleukin-2 receptor-alpha (IL-2R alpha) (CD25+)
decreased significantly (25.2%) in D and was unchanged in D + EX, resulting
in a significant difference between groups at week 8. NK cell cytotoxicity
was suppressed in D and unchanged in D + EX after treatment. Changes in NK
cell activity were significantly correlated with proportional changes in
(CD25+) (r = 0.584, P = 0.022), but not CD56+. CONCLUSIONS: A combined
program of light- to moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise
offsets the apparent decrement in NK cell activity associated with weight
loss.