Serum changes in sTWEAK and its scavenger receptor sCD163 in ultramarathon athletes running the 24-h race.

In the present investigation, the serum changes of sTWEAK levels, a multifunctional cytokine involved in tissue response to acute injury and inflammation, and of its scavenger receptor sCD163, were monitored for the first time in ultramarathon athletes running the 24-h competition, an extremely demanding race in terms of muscular and physiological exertion. To this aim, venous blood samples were collected from each participant (n = 22, M = 12, F = 10) both before and immediately after the 24-h running. Other than sTWEAK and sCD163, the common serum biomarkers of inflammation (namely CRP and IL-6) and tissue injury (such as CPK, LDH, CPK-MB, troponin-I, and NT-proBNP) were evaluated.