Poh Hwa Ooi | ALES Graduate Seminar

A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree.
This is an ALES MSc Final Exam Seminar by Poh Hwa Ooi. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.
Thesis Topic: Sarcopenia is associated with clinical outcomes and physical function in children with end stage liver disease pre-and-post liver transplantation

MSc with Drs. Diana Mager and Susan Gilmour

Seminar Abstract:

Sarcopenia is defined as reduced skeletal muscle mass (myopenia), muscle strength and physical performance. Little information is available regarding the risk factors influencing sarcopenia expression or clinical outcomes in children with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The study aims were to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in children with ESLD before and after liver transplantation (LTx) and to study associations with patient clinical outcomes. Body composition was studied using CT/MRI (2 months-18 years; pre-LTx) scans and DXA (6-18 years; post LTx) in children with ESLD and healthy age-matched children. Muscle strength, physical performance, diet quality and physical activity were assessed using validated methodologies. Myopenia and low subcutaneous fat were highly prevalent in children with ESLD and related to post-operative outcomes (infection, gross motor development, length of stay). In the post-LTx period, sarcopenia affected 37% of children up to 8 years post-LTx and was characterized by deficits in lower limb strength/function and lower levels of vigorous physical activity. Diet quality was poor, but unrelated to sarcopenia expression. Myopenia associated with low subcutaneous fat deposition and reduced peripheral limb strength/function occurs in children pre-and-post-LTx. Development of rehabilitation strategies to identify and treat sarcopenia is important to optimize clinical outcomes in children with ESLD pre-and-post-LTx.