Bauduanjin exercise restores T cell function in man with heroin addicts by decreasing CD4+CD25+Foxp3 regulatory T cells

There is an increasing body of evidence that heroin addiction is associated with severe alterations in immune function, which might contribute to an increased risk to infectious diseases like hepatitis B and C or HIV. However, the impact of Baduanjin exercise on T cell function in heroin user is not well understood. Therefore, we analyzed the frequency of immune-suppressive CD4+CD25+FoxP3 regulatory T cells (Tregs) isolated from peripheral blood of heroin users before (n=30) and after (n=30) practicing Baduanjin exercise. Interestingly, we detected a significant decrease in the percentage of Tregs in PBMC of heroin addicted patients after practicing Baduanjin exercise for 3 months. The proliferative response of PBMCs decreased in heroin users, but elevated after practicing Baduanjin exercisers, whose mechanism might be related to the cytokine of TGF-β. These results suggest that the impaired immune responses observed in heroin users can be restored by Baduanjin exercise through decreasing Tregs or suppressing cytokine TGF-β.