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Muscle Function and Its Biological and Physiological Determinants in Sickle Cell Disease

Muscle Function and Its Biological and Physiological Determinants in Sickle Cell Disease

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03243812
Acronym
DREPAMUSCLE
Enrollment
77
Registered
2017-08-09
Start date
2017-09-15
Completion date
2019-12-13
Last updated
2025-12-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Sickle Cell Disease

Keywords

Sickle Cell Disease, Muscle function, Hemorheological disorders

Brief summary

Background : Sickle cell patients have profound remodeling of their muscle microcirculation networks with signs of amyotrophy. However, the consequences of these muscle alterations on the functional status of muscles are unknown. In addition, whether the poor physical fitness of sickle cell patients can be attributed, at least partly, to an hypothetical muscle dysfunction has never been tested. Purpose : this study will compare the muscle function of legs between sickle cell patients (SS and SC genotypes) and healthy individuals (AA genotype) before, during and after a short localized muscle endurance exercise. Abstract : Very recently, a study reported large differences between the muscle microcirculation networks of sickle cell patients compared to healthy individuals with decreased capillary density and higher proportion of large capillaries in the former population. In addition, the same study showed signs of amyotrophy in sickle cell patients. However, the muscle function of sickle cell patients has not been investigated and one may suggest that muscle dysfunction could participate in the decrease of physical fitness, in association with the hematological and hemorheological disorders, already reported in this population. The hypothesis is that muscle fatigue during a short localized muscle endurance exercise should be higher in sickle cell patients compared to healthy individuals, due to a greater recruitment of glycolytic fibers and a faster decrease of muscle oxygenation during exercise.

Interventions

BIOLOGICALBlood sampling

Blood sampling will be performed to assess hematological and hemorheological parameters

OTHERMaximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) test force

Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) test force will be performed before and after a localized muscle endurance test

OTHERLocalized muscle endurance test

Subject will perform 4 series of 20 submaximal dynamic contractions at 50% of the MVC interspaced with 1 min recovery.

OTHERSelf-paced six-minute walk test

Self-paced six-minute walk test will be conducted according to the guidelines of the American Thoracic Society

Sponsors

Hospices Civils de Lyon
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
15 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

For Sickle cell patients : * age ≥ 15 and \< 60 years old, * SS homozygote or SC heterozygote * in clinical steady state (i.e. without vaso-occlusive crisis or recent blood transfusion) * identified by systematic neonatal screening programs, * registered in the French medical social security national program For Healthy and non sickle cell subjects: * age ≥ 18 and \< 60 years old * without cardiovascular/respiratory/muscle disease, * registered in the French medical social security national program.

Exclusion criteria

* other hemoglobinopathies, * stroke or vasculopathy history, * presence of leg ulcers or osteonecrosis, * recent infectious episode (less than 1 month), * chronic transfusion therapy programs, * recent blood transfusion or phlebotomies (less than 3 months), * patients not at steady state, * pregnancy or breast feeding

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Maximum isometric muscular strengthDay 1Isometric muscular strength will be determined by Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) test force on dominant leg. Muscular function will be evaluated using Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) test force and the muscle endurance ability, which will be highlighted by the degree of decline of MVC after a short localized muscle effort using the formula: ((post MVC force - pre MVC force) / pre MVC force)x100. Muscle weakness will be determined by a loss of maximum isometric strength ≥ 20 % compared with control group.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Muscle oxygenation measurementDay 1oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) levels will be measured using Near-Infrared spectroscopy on the dominant leg.
Measurement of six-minute walk distance (6MWD)Day 1In order to investigate the association between muscle endurance ability and physical fitness in sickle cell patients, patients will realize a six-minute walk test (6MWT). 6MWD will be measured = the distance that a patient has walked on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (6MWT).
Red blood cell (RBC) deformabilityDay 1RBC deformability will be assessed by using ektacytometry, in order to evaluate the role of hemorheological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)Day 1CBC will be performed in order to evaluate the role of hematological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.
Surface Electromyography (EMG) ActivityDay 1Surface EMG signals will be recorded by non-invasive electrodes on the dominant leg.
Blood viscosityDay 1Blood viscosity will be measured by using viscosimetry, in order to evaluate the role of hemorheological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.
Aggregation propertiesDay 1Aggregation properties will be assessed by using syllectometry, in order to evaluate the role of hemorheological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.
Hemoglobin oxygenation levelDay 1Hemoglobin oxygenation level will be measured in order to evaluate the role of hemorheological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.
Number of vaso-occlusive crises and acute chest syndrome within a 5 years retrospective period.Day 1Number of vaso-occlusive crises and acute chest syndrome reflects of clinical severity of the sickle cell disease. Clinical severity will be retrospectively (5 years) collected in clinical record of sickle cell patients. These clinical data will be used to study the relationships between the degree of muscle dysfunction and the degree of clinical severity in sickle cell patients.
HematocritDay 1Hematocrit will be measured in order to evaluate the role of hematological disorders in the muscle fatigue of sickle cell patients.

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026