Table 2.

Serum signaling molecule concentrations are not altered following long-term physical exercise in MS.

Molecule	Group	Time	Mean concentration (pg/mL) ± SEM	P values
IL-6	EX	PRE	0.60 ± 0.09	0.434
		POST	0.54 ± 0.09
	SED	PRE	0.45 ± 0.09	0.341
		POST	0.54 ± 0.09
IL-10	EX	PRE	0.48 ± 0.09	0.731
		POST	0.50 ± 0.09
	SED	PRE	0.60 ± 0.19	0.097
		POST	0.31 ± 0.04
IL-12p70	EX	PRE	0.09 ± 0.01	0.312
		POST	0.12 ± 0.02
	SED	PRE	0.13 ± 0.03	1.000
		POST	0.13 ± 0.02
TNF-α	EX	PRE	1.07 ± 0.11	1.000
		POST	1.05 ± 0.10
	SED	PRE	1.37 ± 0.18	0.665
		POST	1.23 ± 0.16
Caspase-1	EX	PRE	100.48 ± 9.78	0.217
		POST	112.97 ± 9.81
	SED	PRE	121.61 ± 25.43	1.000
		POST	100.00 ± 14.64
Molecule	Group	Time	Mean concentration (ng/mL) ± SEM	P values
MMP-9	EX	PRE	192.35 ± 23.43	1.000
		POST	174.40 ± 17.84
	SED	PRE	208.36 ± 25.59	0.368
		POST	176.32 ± 20.86
DHEA	EX	PRE	16.11 ± 1.65	0.300
		POST	17.06 ± 1.98
	SED	PRE	16.08 ± 2.17	1.000
		POST	16.18 ± 1.90
Molecule	Group	Time	Mean concentration (µg/dL) ± SEM	P values
Cortisol	EX	PRE	22.17 ± 1.73	0.047
		POST	23.73 ± 1.74
	SED	PRE	20.07 ± 1.00	0.110
		POST	21.49 ± 0.78
Molecule	Group	Time	Mean molar ratio ± SEM	P values
Cortisol/DHEA	EX	PRE	13.78 ± 1.41	0.716
		POST	14.50 ± 1.57
	SED	PRE	12.18 ± 1.44	0.234
		POST	12.80 ± 1.34

The serum concentration of signaling molecules was measured with ELISA, and the molar ratio of cortisol to DHEA was calculated. Results are shown as mean concentration or molar ratio ± SEM.

IL, interleukin; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone; EX, exercise group; SED, sedentary control group; PRE, baseline measurement; POST, measurement after 12 weeks; SEM, standard error of the mean.