Muscle Function After Lung Transplantation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Rigshospitalet

Status: Unknown

Conditions: COPD

Treatments: Other: Lung transplantation

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03548857

H-17039327

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the project is to investigate changes in the quadriceps muscle and cardiovascular regulation during exercise in relation to improved lung function after lung transplantation in patients with COPD.

Full description

Dysfunctional skeletal musculature of the lower limbs is related to low quality of life, exercise intolerance and higher mortality in patients with COPD. Limb muscle dysfunction in COPD consists of muscle atrophy and reduced muscle strength but also intra-muscular alterations in oxidative capacity and mitochondrial function are often present. Moreover, reduced blood flow to exercising muscle may also contribute to the muscle dysfunction in COPD. The mechanisms responsible for muscle dysfunction in COPD patients remain unclear but could be a consequence of reduced lung function, inflammation, medications or low physical activity. Loss of lung function with COPD is normally irreversible so the transition to near-normal lung function after lung transplantation is a unique model to investigate the adaptation of the limb muscle to improved lung function. Thus, the purpose of this project is to investigate the effect of lung transplantation on limb muscle function (mitochondrial function, oxidative enzyme capacity, fiber type distribution, oxygen delivery/uptake) and daily physical activity level in patients with COPD. The project has a translational focus on muscle dysfunction in COPD and uses methodologies from clinical medicine, integrative physiology and molecular biochemistry in order to gain knowledge of mechanisms behind limb muscle dysfunction and exercise intolerance in COPD.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• COPD with or without alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency on the waiting list for a lung transplantation
• Single or double lung transplantation
• ≥ 18 years
• Ability to give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Retransplantation
• Multiple-organ transplantation (heart-lung transplantation)
• Musculoskeletal disorders which substantially inhibits physical activity
• Need for crossmatching in connection with lung transplantation
• Anticoagulant therapy before lung transplantation (except acetylsalicylic acid)

Trial design

20 participants in 1 patient group

COPD patients

Description:

COPD patients on the waiting list for a lung transplantation

Treatment:

Other: Lung transplantation