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Exercise tolerance in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis after autologous SCT

T Takken1, C van den Beuken, N M Wulffraat

  • 1Department of Pediatric Physical Therapy & Exercise Physiology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. t.takken@umcutrecht.nl

Bone Marrow Transplantation
|July 1, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (ASCT) show reduced exercise tolerance and functional ability. These impairments persist even years after treatment, indicating long-term effects of ASCT in JIA patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Hematology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) frequently causes physical impairment.
  • A subset of JIA patients is refractory to standard treatments.
  • Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (ASCT) is a potential therapy for resistant JIA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term exercise tolerance and functional ability in children with JIA post-ASCT.
  • To compare outcomes in JIA patients who received ASCT with healthy individuals.
  • To understand the lasting effects of ASCT on physical function in pediatric JIA.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of ten JIA patients who underwent ASCT between 1997 and 2003.
  • Maximal exercise testing to assess exercise tolerance.
  • Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire and joint status evaluation for functional ability.

Main Results:

  • JIA patients post-ASCT demonstrated significantly lower exercise tolerance compared to healthy controls.
  • Functional ability and joint status were also diminished in the patient cohort.
  • Impaired exercise tolerance was evident up to 9 years after ASCT in children with JIA.

Conclusions:

  • ASCT in children with JIA leads to long-term reductions in exercise tolerance and functional capacity.
  • The findings highlight the persistent physical sequelae following ASCT for refractory JIA.
  • Further research is needed to mitigate long-term functional deficits in JIA patients treated with ASCT.

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