Purpose: Exercise therapy with a focus on muscle strengthening has proven to be effective for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Yet it is not known whether high-intensity resistance training (RT) is more effective in improving upper leg muscle strength and physical performance than low-intensity RT. Still, there is some controversy regarding the effectiveness of high-intensity RT and whether or not it is harmful, for instance by accelerating cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, or increasing synovitis. Any catabolic or anabolic response of musculoskeletal tissue to RT might first be visible on a biochemical level before changes in clinical symptoms are measurable. Serum biomarkers can objectively measure early biochemical changes and assess whether RT leads to a more anabolic or catabolic response. The aim of this study is to assess (i) whether high-intensity RT elicits a different response (e.g. catabolic) on systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal tissues in and surrounding the joint, including bone, cartilage, muscle, and synovial tissue compared to low-intensity RT; and (ii) whether there is an association between changes in serum levels of inflammatory and musculoskeletal tissue-derived biomarkers and improvements in clinical outcomes (performance-based tests and self-reported outcomes on pain and activity limitations).Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 177 participants with knee OA conducted a high-intensity (70%-80% of the Repetition Maximum (1RM)) or low-intensity (40%-50% 1RM) RT program 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Measures of clinical outcomes and serum samples were collected at the start of RT (pre-intervention), after 3 months at the end of RT (post-intervention), and 6 months after RT (follow-up). As a reflection of systemic inflammation (CRP), synovitis (CRPM, C3M), bone turnover (OC, CTX-I), cartilage turnover (PRO-C2, C2M, huARGS), muscle turnover (PRO-C3, PRO-C6), and cell behaviour (col10neo) a total of eleven serum biomarkers were analysed. With the exception of CRP, which was determined with an immunoturbidimetric assay, ELISA assays were used to quantify serum levels of the other 10 serum biomarkers. The primary outcome measures are the changes in serum biomarker levels. Other outcome measures include upper leg muscle strength, performance-based tests, and self-reported outcomes on pain and activity limitations.Results: High-intensity RT resulted in greater improvements in muscle strength compared to low-intensity RT when measured by the estimated 1RM. No significant differences between groups were found for upper leg muscle strength (Nm/kg) when measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. Both groups showed similar improvements in pain and physical functioning. Although there is no difference between groups in clinical outcomes, except for the estimated 1RM, we expect that participants in the high-intensity RT group are more likely to have enhanced serum levels of catabolic biomarkers than participants in the low-intensity RT group. Since both the high-intensity RT group and low-intensity RT group improved over time, we expect that changes in serum biomarker levels are associated with overall improvements in clinical outcomes. Almost all participants had normal CRP values (<10 mg/L) at baseline. No significant differences between the intensity RT groups in CRP levels at baseline, at 3 months, and 6 months were found. In both groups, there was no evidence that RT influenced CRP serum levels.Conclusions: The work to date on CRP serum levels suggests that RT did not influence CRP levels. This result may be explained by the high percentage of participants with normal CRP levels (<10 mg/L). We are currently in the process of analyzing the remaining 10 neo-epitope biomarkers. We expect that our remaining 10 assays have the potential to measure changes in serum biomarker levels in response to RT. This will be the first study to investigate the effects of high-intensity versus low-intensity RT on musculoskeletal tissue turnover in individuals with knee OA. With this, we aim to determine whether high-intensity RT can improve upper leg muscle strength and physical performance without worsening systemic inflammation or causing adverse effects on musculoskeletal knee OA-related tissues.
Background: Chronic low-grade inflammatory profile (CLIP) is one of the pathways involved in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Currently, there is limited evidence for ameliorating effects of combined lifestyle interventions on CLIP in type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether a 13-week combined lifestyle intervention, using hypocaloric diet and resistance exercise plus high-intensity interval training with or without consumption of a protein drink, affected CLIP in older adults with T2D. Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of the PROBE study 114 adults (≥55 years) with obesity and type 2 (pre-)diabetes had measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP), pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF)-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10, IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA), and soluble tumor-necrosis-factor receptor (sTNFR)1, adipokines leptin and adiponectin, and glycation biomarkers carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) from fasting blood samples. A linear mixed model was used to evaluate change in inflammatory biomarkers after lifestyle intervention and effect of the protein drink. Linear regression analysis was performed with parameters of body composition (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and parameters of insulin resistance (by oral glucose tolerance test). Results: There were no significant differences in CLIP responses between the protein and the control groups. For all participants combined, IL-1RA, leptin and adiponectin decreased after 13 weeks (p = 0.002, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), while ratios TNF-α/IL-10 and TNF-α/IL-1RA increased (p = 0.003 and p = 0.035). CRP increased by 12 % in participants with low to average CLIP (pre 1.91 ± 0.39 mg/L, post 2.13 ± 1.16 mg/L, p = 0.006) and decreased by 36 % in those with high CLIP (pre 5.14 mg/L ± 1.20, post 3.30 ± 2.29 mg/L, p < 0.001). Change in leptin and IL-1RA was positively associated with change in fat mass (β = 0.133, p < 0.001; β = 0.017, p < 0.001) and insulin resistance (β = 0.095, p = 0.024; β = 0.020, p = 0.001). Change in lean mass was not associated with any of the biomarkers. Conclusion: 13 weeks of combined lifestyle intervention, either with or without protein drink, reduced circulating adipokines and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1RA, and increased inflammatory ratios TNF-α/IL-10 and TNF-α/IL-1RA in older adults with obesity and T2D. Effect on CLIP was inversely related to baseline inflammatory status.
De samenwerking tussen de onderzoeksgroep FRIA van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, afdeling oudergeneeskunde van het UMCG Groningen en de onderzoeksgroep (lectoraat) Healthy Ageing, Allied health Care and Nursing van de Hanzehogeschool Groningen is gericht op onderzoek naar bewegingsstoornissen bij veroudering. In het bijzonder wordt gekeken naar paratonic, een bewegingsstoornis bij dementie.The International Joint Research group ‘Move in Age’ concluded in a systematic review that paratonia still is a barely understood and devastating phenomenon in dementia and revealed the urgency of gaining more insight in the pathophysiology. Paratonia, a distinctive change in muscle tone, starts in early stages of dementia and develops further with progress of the disease. Resulting in severe discomfort for patients, but also affecting caregivers since daily care becomes increasingly difficult. It is hypothesized that changes in motor control due to dementia influences peripheral neurological control and biomechanical muscle structures (by crosslinking and inflammation caused by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).This IJRG started in 2018 and aims to develop a long-term comprehensive research program on movement-related impairments at higher age. The three partners have a strong track record on research in the area of movement-related impairments in older persons; however, each focusing on a specific aspect. In fact, the Frailty in Ageing research group (FRIA) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is running focused research program on the triad sarcopenia-dynapenia-inflammation with mainly a bio-gerontological and bio-psycho-medical approach; the department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) has anongoing research line on the medical aspects of mobility impairments in frail elderly persons and in elderly dementia patients; and finally Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen (HUAS) developed a research program on physical, psycho-cognitive and social dimensions of frailty including the functional impact of mobility impairments. In the first 3-5 years, the focus will be on the movement-related impairments that occur in patients with dementia and in specific on paranoia. The programme will be extended towards movement-related impairments in the context of other geriatric syndromes.
Door de transitie naar een biobased en circulaire economie neemt de behoefte aan biomassa als bron van grondstoffen en chemicaliën toe. De teelt van vezelhennep staat daarom opnieuw in de belangstelling vanwege de veelzijdigheid van het gewas. De vezels uit de stengel worden bijvoorbeeld gebruikt voor textieltoepassingen en plantinhoudsstoffen uit de bladeren en bloemen (o.a. Cannabidiol (CBD)) worden gebruikt als voedingssupplement vanwege de gezondheidsbevorderende eigenschappen. Echter, vezelhennep bevat, naast het bekende CBD, nog een veel breder scala aan plantinhoudsstoffen waaraan gezondheidsbevorderende effecten worden toegeschreven. Afhankelijk van het productie/extractieproces en de gebruikte cultivars komen de andere plantinhoudsstoffen in meer of mindere mate in de producten terecht. Vanuit de producenten van vezelhennep extracten is er vraag naar betere karakterisatie van hun extracten en er is behoefte aan meer kennis over de gezondheidseffecten van de extracten zodat de toepasbaarheid vergroot kan worden. Het doel van dit project is dan ook om een relatie te leggen tussen samenstelling aan secundaire plantinhoudsstoffen van verschillende vezelhennepextracten en de gezondheidseffecten van deze extracten. Om dit doel te bereiken zal er onderzoek gedaan worden naar de invloed van verschillende extractiemethodes, cultivars en bewaarmethodes op de samenstelling aan plantinhoudsstoffen en zal een nieuwe methode voor het verkrijgen van plantinhoudsstoffen doorontwikkeld worden. Deze extracten worden vervolgens getest op hun effecten op de humane gezondheid middels een unieke combinatie aan modelsystemen om de relatie te kunnen leggen met specifieke samenstelling. Veroudering is hier als overkoepeld thema gekozen, omdat het in de vergrijzende samenleving steeds relevanter wordt om gezonder oud te worden. Als subthema’s is gekozen voor afweerfunctie, neuro-inflammatie en spierfunctie. De resultaten zullen worden toegepast om nieuwe, beter gekarakteriseerde extracten op de markt te kunnen brengen. Tevens is dit project, door het multidisciplinaire karakter, uitermate geschikt om een hybride leeromgeving te ontwikkelen waarin studenten worden geleerd om multidisciplinair te werken.
Especially during the summer period, a significant amount of the population experience a health issues caused by the stinging hair of oak-caterpillars. These health complaints are often caused by the skin irritation and allergic reaction when the stinging hair comes in contact with the skin. Additional complaints include swelling and inflammation problems on eyes and throats. The health complaints range from simple itching to serious allergic reactions that can last weeks. Currently, the oak-caterpillars are removed using manual labor, which is labor intensive and time consuming. Cranes are often deployed to reach to various parts of a tree for inspection and combat, which is a slow and an expensive process. In general, since inspection of oak-caterpillars is done with bare eyes of the professionals and detection often occurs at a later stage, significant number of people are affected already. Therefore, a new effective combating methodology is needed. The main goal of this project is to conduct feasibility study of the applicability of semi-autonomous aerial robots (drones) for early stage detection and combat against oak-caterpillars. This innovative solution aspires to use smart aerial robots that employ AI-based techniques for early phase and real-time detection of oak-caterpillars. Once the oak-caterpillars are detected, a direct and selective combating resources will be applied. Within this project, the first proof-of-concepts will be developed. The results of this project will be used to expand the existing network and formulate a bigger project to address additional critical aspects in order to develop a complete oak-caterpillar combating drone. The project will be executed with Research Group of Mechatronics at Saxion, together with the participating innovative SMEs (DronExperts,Drone4Agro). The project will be facilitated by the Municipality of Enschede with respect to polices and the Space53 cluster for networking and testing in operational environments.
