Objective:

To evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Chuan on the expression of pro-inflammatory genes IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in adults with chronic diseases, explore potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and identify research gaps in the literature.

Key Findings:

• Tai Chi Chuan significantly reduced the expression of downstream target genes (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.76 to -0.19, p < 0.01).
• IL-6 expression was significantly down-regulated (SMD = -0.66, 95% CI: -1.27 to -0.06, p = 0.03).
• IL-1β expression was significantly down-regulated (SMD = -0.59, 95% CI: -0.95 to -0.23, p < 0.01).
• TNF-α showed a downward trend but was not statistically significant (SMD = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.59 to 0.02, p = 0.07).
• Patients with endocrine and respiratory diseases benefited the most from Tai Chi intervention.

Interpretation:

Tai Chi can alleviate systemic inflammation in chronic disease patients by suppressing NF-κB-driven pro-inflammatory gene expression.

Limitations:

• Lack of randomized controlled trials specifically targeting NF-κB core proteins and factors.
• Limited language scope in literature search may exclude relevant studies, potentially affecting the comprehensiveness of findings.

Conclusion:

Tai Chi demonstrates safety and feasibility in reducing inflammation in chronic diseases, highlighting the need for further RCTs to explore its regulatory effects on the NF-κB pathway, particularly focusing on NF-κB mechanisms.