PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Maeda, Yusaku
AU  - Takao, Shoichiro
AU  - Morita, Shiori
AU  - Kondo, Shin
AU  - Yamashita, Michiko
AU  - Sumitani, Ryohei
AU  - Oura, Masahiro
AU  - Sogabe, Kimiko
AU  - Takahashi, Mamiko
AU  - Fujii, Shiro
AU  - Harada, Takeshi
AU  - Miki, Hirokazu
AU  - Abe, Masahiro
AU  - Nakamura, Shingen
TI  - Quality of skeletal muscles during allogeneic stem-cell transplantation: a pilot study
AID  - 10.1136/spcare-2024-005070
DP  - 2024 Oct 01
TA  - BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
PG  - spcare-2024-005070
4099  - http://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2024/09/30/spcare-2024-005070.short
4100  - http://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2024/09/30/spcare-2024-005070.full
AB  - Objectives This study investigated the muscle fat fraction (FF) and muscle-related parameters before and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).Methods Fat and water signals were derived from the in-phase and out-of-phase MR signal intensities of the pelvis and thigh using the two-point Dixon technique. They were analysed using Synapse Vincent, and muscle quality was evaluated using the FF. The muscle mass was assessed by measuring the thigh and gluteal muscle areas using a manual trace on the MR image. The association between the muscle FF and clinical data was retrospectively determined.Results This study included 11 patients (6 males). Their mean age was 42.7 years, and eight had leukaemia. Eight were assessed at a mean of 65.4 days post-HSCT. The hip and thigh skeletal muscle FFs were not significantly different during HSCT. The grip and lower limb muscle strengths decreased significantly after HSCT. Patients with low FFs before transplantation tended to lose muscle strength, and the increase in FF and decrease of muscle strength were correlated.Conclusions Muscle strength and quantity decrease during the early phase after HSCT, especially in patients with low FF muscles. Therefore, interventions based on muscle quality and quantity are essential.