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Aim: The aim of this observational study was to determine the immune status and function in young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in comparison to typically developing individuals. Method: Blood samples from 12 individuals with CP (five males, seven females; mean age: 25 years 1 month (5 years 9 months); age range: 19–38 years) and 17 typically developing individuals (eight males, nine females; mean age: 31 years 4 months (6 years 2 months); age range: 20–40 years) were collected before, immediately after, and 1 hour after 45 minutes of frame running or running respectively. Independent t‐tests were used to compare heart rate, level of exertion, and baseline cell proportions between groups. Mixed model analysis of variance was utilized to investigate immune cell responses to exercise across groups. Results: Baseline levels of gamma delta (TCRγδ+) T‐cells were significantly higher (absolute percentage: +2.65, p = 0.028) in the individuals with CP. Several cell populations showed similar significant changes after exercise in both CP and typically developing groups. Cytotoxic (CD8+) T‐cells were only significantly elevated immediately after exercise in the typically developing participants (p < 0.01). Individuals with CP exhibited significantly lower heart rates (−11.1%, p < 0.01), despite similar ratings of perceived exertion. Interpretation: Elevated baseline TCRγδ+ T‐cells may indicate low‐grade inflammation in adults with CP. Although most of the cell populations showed typical responses to endurance exercise, the absence of response in CD8+ T‐cells in individuals with CP may indicate the need for higher intensity during exercise. What this paper adds: TCRγδ+ T‐cell baseline levels are elevated in adults with cerebral palsy (CP).The CD8+ T‐cell response to exercise was blunted in adults with CP.Exercise intensity is decisive for CD8+ T‐cell responses in individuals with CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor cardiorespiratory fitness may mediate vascular impairments at rest and following an acute bout of exercise in young healthy individuals. This study aimed to compare flow mediated dilation (FMD) and vascular augmentation index (AIx75) between young adults with low, moderate, and high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness before and after an acute bout of aerobic exercise. Forty-three participants (22 men; 21 women) between 18 and 29 years of age completed the study. Participants were classified into low, moderate, and high health-related cardiorespiratory fitness groups according to age- and sex-based relative maximal oxygen consumption ( V ˙ O 2 max) percentile rankings. FMD was performed using Doppler ultrasound and AIx75 was performed using pulse wave analysis at baseline and 60-min after a 30-min bout of treadmill running at 70% V ˙ O 2 max. A significant interaction ( p  ​= ​0.047; η p 2  ​= ​0.142) was observed, with the moderate fitness group exhibiting a higher FMD post-exercise compared with baseline ([6.7% ​± ​3.1%] vs. [8.5% ​± ​2.8%], p  ​= ​0.028; d  ​= ​0.598). We found a significant main effect of group for AIx75 ( p  ​= ​0.023; η p 2  ​= ​0.168), with the high fitness group exhibiting lower AIx75 compared to low fitness group ([-10% ​± ​10%] vs. [2% ​± ​10%], respectively, p  ​= ​0.019; g  ​= ​1.07). This was eliminated after covarying for body fat percentage ( p  ​= ​0.489). Our findings suggest that resting FMD and AIx75 responses are not significantly influenced by cardiorespiratory fitness, but FMD recovery responses to exercise may be enhanced in individuals with moderate cardiorespiratory fitness levels., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Chengdu Sport University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.)