Impact of Exercise Modalities on Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Rahimi, MR ORCID: 0000-0002-4302-1472, Faraji, H, Sadeghi, C, John, G, Ahmetov, II ORCID: 0000-0002-6335-4020 and Golpasandi, H ORCID: 0000-0002-3499-7369 (2025) Impact of Exercise Modalities on Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Muscles, 5 (1). p. 1. ISSN 2813-0413

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Abstract

Background: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a key biomarker of innate immunity and inflammation, associated with muscle mass, metabolic syndrome, and obesity-related indicators. However, its role in training adaptations remains unclear, with studies reporting inconsistent PTX3 responses to acute and chronic exercise. This study aimed to compare the effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and acute exercise on PTX3 levels. Methods: A systematic search using Boolean logic was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar to identify randomized controlled trials examining the effects of exercise training and acute exercise on PTX3 levels. Results: Out of 3434 records published from 1992 to July 2025, 19 studies met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis revealed that aerobic training significantly increased PTX3 levels (SMD = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.173 to 1.252; p = 0.01; I2 = 83.14%), whereas resistance training significantly reduced them (SMD = −0.69; 95% CI, −1.025 to −0.370; p = 0.0001; I2 = 17.52%). HIIT did not elicit a significant change (SMD = 0.086; 95% CI, −0.364 to 0.535; p = 0.70; I2 = 0.00%). Notably, exercise training significantly elevated PTX3 in individuals over 50 years old (SMD = 1.124; 95% CI, 0.231 to 2.017; p = 0.014; I2 = 87.97%) but not in younger participants (SMD = −0.156; 95% CI, −0.640 to 0.327; p = 0.526; I2 = 78.80%). Conclusion: Aerobic and resistance exercise exert opposing effects on PTX3, suggesting distinct mechanisms through which different training modalities modulate inflammatory pathways relevant to muscle metabolism and repair. Acute exercise may also transiently elevate PTX3 to manage exercise-induced inflammation.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Pentraxin-3; athletes; endurance training; exercise; inflammation; obesity; overweight; resistance training; 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; 42 Health Sciences; 4207 Sports Science and Exercise; Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities; Physical Activity; Clinical Research; Nutrition
Subjects:	Q Science > QP Physiology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	MDPI AG
Date of acceptance:	18 December 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	6 February 2026
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2026 09:31
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2026 09:31
DOI or ID number:	10.3390/muscles5010001
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28062

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