Can Solid-Organ–Transplanted Patients Perform a Cycling Marathon? Trends in Kidney Function Parameters in Comparison With Healthy Subjects

Long-term outcomes and health-related quality of life 20 years after pediatric liver transplantation

Pediatric liver transplantation is a challenging surgical procedure requiring complex post-transplant patient management. Liver transplantation in children should ensure long-term survival and good health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), but data in the literature are conflicting. With the aim of investigating survival and psychosocial outcomes of patients transplanted during childhood, we identified 40 patients with ≥ 20-year follow-up after liver transplantation regularly followed up at our Institution. Clinical charts were reviewed to retrieve patients' data. Psychosocial aspects and HR-QOL were investigated by an in-person or telephonic interview and by administering the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire through an online form. Ten- and 20-year patient survival was 97.5% (95% CI 92.8-100%), whereas 10- and 20-year graft survival was 77.5% (65.6-91.6%) and 74.8% (62.5-89.6%), respectively. At last follow-up visit, 31 patients (77.5%) were receiving a tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. Twelve (32.4%) patients obtained a university diploma or higher, whereas 19 (51.4%) successfully completed high school. 81.1% of patients were active workers or in education, 17.5% had children, and 35% regularly practiced sport. 25 patients answered to the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. More than 60% of respondents did not report any disability and the perceived physical status was invariably good or very good. Median scores for physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment were 16.6, 14.7, 16, and 15, respectively. Pediatric liver transplantation is associated with excellent long-term survival and good HR-QOL. Psychological health and environment represent areas in which support would be needed to further improve HR-QOL.

High-Intensity Training for 6 Months Safely, but Only Temporarily, Improves Exercise Capacity in Selected Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

BACKGROUND

Organ transplantation is a life-saving intervention that improves quality of life of patients with irreversible organ failure. Although exercise training immediately after transplantation has been suggested to be beneficial, such interventions remain rare in stable transplant recipients, whereas effects of high-intensity training (HIT) are even less frequently investigated. Moreover, sustainability of such interventions has not yet been reported. We investigated the effects of a 6-month, cycling-based HIT program on physical performance in long-term stable solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, with follow-up evaluation after 6 months.

METHODS

Forty-two adult, stable, and selected SOT recipients participated in a 6-month individualized home- and group-based HIT program. Exercise capacity (VO₂max), maximal power (Wmax), and body mass index were measured before, at the end, and 6 months after completion of the intervention.

RESULTS

The study comprised 12 heart, 7 lung, 8 liver, and 15 kidney recipients (mean age, 41.4 ± 11.1 years; median time posttransplant, 3.4 [1.7-8.0] years). For 6 months, VO₂max increased in the heart, lung, and kidney groups, Wmax increased in the heart group, and body mass index decreased in the liver group. Six months after the HIT program, the achieved gain in exercise capacity had disappeared in all groups.

CONCLUSION

Despite voluntary participation selection bias, our observations indicate that HIT is safe and may result in a beneficial effect on physical performance in selected, stable SOT recipients. However, there was no sustained beneficial effect once training stopped. Larger scale and longer term studies are still required to investigate longevity of improvement and overall beneficial effects on clinical outcomes.

GDF15 Plasma Level Is Inversely Associated With Level of Physical Activity and Correlates With Markers of Inflammation and Muscle Weakness

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a stress molecule produced in response to mitochondrial, metabolic and inflammatory stress with a number of beneficial effects on metabolism. However, at the level of skeletal muscle it is still unclear whether GDF15 is beneficial or detrimental. The aim of the study was to analyse the levels of circulating GDF15 in people of different age, characterized by different level of physical activity and to seek for correlation with hematological parameters related to inflammation. The plasma concentration of GDF15 was determined in a total of 228 subjects in the age range from 18 to 83 years. These subjects were recruited and divided into three different groups based on the level of physical activity: inactive patients with lower limb mobility impairment, active subjects represented by amateur endurance cyclists, and healthy controls taken from the general population. Cyclists were sampled before and after a strenuous physical bout (long distance cycling race). The plasma levels of GDF15 increase with age and are inversely associated with active lifestyle. In particular, at any age, circulating GDF15 is significantly higher in inactive patients and significantly lower in active people, such as cyclists before the race, with respect to control subjects. However, the strenuous physical exercise causes in cyclists a dramatic increase of GDF15 plasma levels, that after the race are similar to that of patients. Moreover, GDF15 plasma levels significantly correlate with quadriceps torque in patients and with the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes in both cyclists (before and after race) and patients. Taken together, our data indicate that GDF15 is associated with decreased muscle performance and increased inflammation.

Longitudinal Analysis of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Active and Sedentary Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background: Despite the benefits of physical activity on cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), the long-term effects of exercise have been poorly investigated. This is a three-year observational study comparing graft function and cardiovascular risk factors in active KTRs (AKTRs) vs. sedentary KTRs (SKTRs). Methods: KTRs with stable renal function were assigned to active or sedentary group in relation to the level of daily physical activity based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations (<150 or >150 minutes/week, respectively). Complete blood count, renal function indices, lipid profile, blood pressure and anthropometric measures were collected yearly for an observation period of three years. The comparisons between the two groups were performed by repeated measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), with age as a covariate. Results: Fifty-four subjects were included in the study. Thirty of them were identified as AKTRs (M/F 26/4, aged 45 ± 12 years) and 24 as SKTRs (M/F 18/6, aged 51 ± 14 years). Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups except body mass index (BMI) that was significantly higher in SKTRs (p = 0.043). Furthermore, over the three-year observation period, BMI decreased in AKTRs and increased in SKTRs (p = 0.006). Graft function was stable in AKTRs, while it showed a decline over time in SKTRs, as indicated by the rise in serum creatinine levels (p = 0.006) and lower eGFR (p = 0.050). Proteinuria, glucose and uric acid levels displayed a decrease in AKTRs and an increase in SKTRs during the three-year period (p = 0.015, p = 0.004 and p = 0.013, respectively). Finally, concerning lipid profiles, AKTRs had a significant reduction over time of triglycerides levels, which conversely showed a clinically relevant increase in SKTRs (p = 0.014). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that regular weekly exercise training may counteract the increased cardiovascular risks and also prevent graft function decline in KTRs.

Small effort, high impact: Focus on physical activity improves oxygen uptake (VO2peak ), quality of life, and mental health after pediatric renal transplantation

This study estimates the effects on peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak ), QoL, and mental health after the introduction of an adjusted post-transplant follow-up program, that is, early physiotherapy and focus on the importance of physical activity. VO2 peak was measured by a treadmill exercise test in 20 renal-transplanted children on the adjusted post-transplant follow-up and compared with a group of 22 patients investigated in a previously, before the implementation of our new follow-up routines. PedsQL and The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to assess QoL and mental health in 45 patients on the new as compared to 32 patients on the previous follow-up strategy. The patients exposed to early physiotherapy and a higher focus on physical activity had significantly higher VO2 peak (44.3 vs 33.5 mL kg-1  min-1 , P = .031) in addition to improved QoL (P = .003) and mental health scores (P = .012). The cardiovascular risk profile was similar in both groups aside from significantly higher triglycerides in the present cohort. Small efforts as early physiotherapy and increased focus on physical activity after pediatric renal transplantation have significant impact on cardiorespiratory fitness, QoL, and mental health. The importance of physical activity should therefore be emphasized in follow-up programs.