title: Impaired physiological function and health-related QOL in patients before hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients' physiological functions and health-related quality of life (QOL) are useful for planning physical therapy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but have not been extensively examined prior to transplantation. We investigated whether physiological functions and health-related QOL were reduced in patients before undergoing allo-HSCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients (n = 110) who underwent allo-HSCT between May 2007 and April 2010 at Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital were included in this study and evaluated for hand-grip and knee-extensor strength; 6-min walk test (6MWT) and health-related QOL (SF-36) were also used for evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grip strength, knee-extensor strength, 6MWT, and all eight SF-36 health-related QOL subscale scores significantly decreased in HSCT patients compared to population norms (all, P < 0.01). Health-related QOL is associated with various confounding factors such as fatigue and sex. Loss of physiological function is also associated with confounding factors; one such association was found between skeletal muscle strength and previous HSCT treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-related QOL and loss of physiological function have a variety confounding factors. Patients scheduled for HSCT may have physiological weaknesses prior to transplant, which need to be considered when planning an exercise regimen during and after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. ptmorishin@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Katsuji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaida
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikegame
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D055815:Young Adult