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February 25, 2022 article Open access Aachen paper

Muscle dysfunction in axial spondylarthritis: the MyoSpA study

Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, vol. 40, pp. 267–273

DOI: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/9ljng7 Full text (OA) OpenAlex

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate muscle physical properties, strength, mass, physical performance, and the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with axial spondylarthritis (axSpA) compared to the healthy controls (HC). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on 54 participants: 27 patients with axSpA and 27 HC, matched by age, gender, and level of physical activity. Muscle physical properties (stiffness, tone and elasticity), muscle strength (five-times sit-to-stand [5STS] test), muscle mass, physical performance (measured through gait speed) and sarcopenia were compared between the groups. Linear regression models were conducted allowing adjustment for relevant variables. RESULTS: Patients with axSpA (mean age 36.5 (SD 7.5) years, 67% males, mean disease duration 6.5 (3.2) years) had no significant difference in segmental muscle stiffness, tone or elasticity, compared with the HC, despite showing a slight numerically higher lower lumbar (L3-L4) stiffness [median 246.5 (IQR 230.5-286.5) vs. 232.5 (211.0-293.5), p=0.38]. No participants presented sarcopenia. Patients with axSpA, compared to the HC, had lower total strength [B=1.88 (95% CI 0.43;3.33)], as well as lower strength in the upper (B=-17.02 (-27.33;-6.70)] and lower limbs [B=-11.14 (-18.25;-4.04)], independently of muscle physical properties. Patients had also significantly lower gait speed than the HC [B=-0.11 (-0.21;-0.01)], adjusted for muscle mass, strength and muscle physical properties. CONCLUSIONS: Young axSpA patients with a relatively short disease duration presented similar segmental muscle physical properties as the HC and had no sarcopenia. Patients with axSpA had reduced physical performance and lower strength compared to the HC, despite normal muscle mass, suggesting a possible muscle dysfunction. Gait characteristics may be a potential biomarker of interest in axSpA.

Authors 16

  1. Agna Neto corresponding

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Hospital de Santa Cruz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital Central do Funchal, Madeira; Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. agnaneto@gmail.com

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital Central do Funchal, Madeira, Portugal;

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  2. Rita Pinheiro Torres

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  3. Sofía Ramiro Aachen Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC) NOVA Medical School Rheumatology Department Zuyderland Medical Center

    Leiden University Medical Center · Zuyderland Medisch Centrum · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, and Rheumatology Department, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, and Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, The Netherlands

    Rheumatology Department, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, and Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, The Netherlands;

  4. Atlas Mashayekhi Sardoo

    Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal;

  5. Santiago Rodrigues-Manica

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  6. João Lagoas Gomes

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  7. Lúcia Domingues

    Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal;

  8. Carolina Lage Crespo

    Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal;

  9. Diana Teixeira

    Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal;

  10. Alexandre Rocha Sepriano

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  11. Alfonse T. Masi

    Peoria campus of the University of Illinois System

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA

    Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA;

  12. Kalyani Nair

    Bradley University · Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bradley University, Peoria, IL, USA

    Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Rua da Junqueira 126, 1349-019 Lisbon, Portugal

  13. Patrícia Gomes‐Alves

    Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica

    Affiliation as printed

    Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Oeiras, Portugal

  14. Júlia Costa

    Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratory of Glycobiology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB) António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal

  15. Jaime Branco

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

  16. Fernando Manuel Pimentel-Santos

    Hospital de Egas Moniz · Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental · Universidade Nova de Lisboa

    Affiliation as printed

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon,and Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Rheumatology Department, Hospital de Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal;

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References 26