Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40138653›Full record

ArticleExperimental physiology2026

Assessing the exercise-related kinetics of circulating cell-free DNA, circulating tumour DNA, DNase I activity and cytokines in patients with solid tumours: A pilot study.

Elmo W I Neuberger, Alexandra Brahmer, Tobias Ehlert, Suzan Botzenhardt, Alfonso De Falco, Birgit Enders, Patricia S Hähnel, Achim Heintz, Carl C Schimanski, Thomas Kindler and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Elmo W I NeubergerDepartment of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2021-6477
Alexandra BrahmerDepartment of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Tobias EhlertDepartment of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Suzan BotzenhardtWest German Proton Therapy Center Essen (WPE), University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Alfonso De FalcoDepartment of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9985-9920
Birgit EndersUniversity Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Patricia S HähnelUniversity Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Achim HeintzDepartment of Visceral Surgery, Marienhaus Klinikum Mainz, Academic Teaching Hospital, Mainz, Germany.
Carl C Schimanski2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
Thomas KindlerUniversity Cancer Center (UCT), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Perikles SimonDepartment of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7996-4034

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and inflammatory cytokines have prognostic and predictive value in oncology. However, the effects of acute exercise on cfDNA levels are unknown. Here, we explore the kinetics of cfDNA, ctDNA and cytokines upon an incremental exercise test in a pilot cohort of cancer patients compared with healthy control subjects. Patients with solid tumours (n = 12) and age-matched control subjects (n = 6) were recruited to perform an all-out cardiopulmonary bicycle test. Blood samples were collected before (Pre), directly after (Post) and 90 min after the test (+90 min), and the cfDNA, ctDNA (Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations), DNase I activity and cytokine levels were measured. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was easily feasible in cancer patients, and data from eight patients and five control subjects were available for exploratory statistical evaluation. The cfDNA levels increased from Pre to Post and decreased to baseline at +90 min in all subjects. The cfDNA concentrations and DNase I activity were clearly correlated in the control but not in the cancer group. Neutrophil-associated myeloperoxidase (MPO), calprotectin (MRP 8/14), and lipocalin A (NGAL) showed strong responses to exercise. The percentage of ctDNA, detected in only one cancer patient, decreased after acute exercise. In our study, we could safely perform cardiopulmonary exercise testing with patients with different cancer entities and subsequently run biomarker analyses. Our results hint at an exercise-triggered release of cfDNA and neutrophil-derived cytokines in cancer patients.

Indexed as

Cell-Free Nucleic AcidsCirculating Tumor DNACytokinesDeoxyribonuclease IExerciseNeoplasmsCase-Control StudiesExercise TestFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedCell-Free Nucleic AcidsCirculating Tumor DNACytokinesDeoxyribonuclease Icancercirculating cell‐free DNAcirculating tumour DNAcytokineexerciseneutrophilsolid tumour

Identifiers

PMID40138653
PMCPMC13238922

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.