title: Functional capacity after pediatric liver transplantation: a pilot study.
abstract: The prospective cross-sectional study investigated the 6MWT performance in pediatric group of liver transplant recipients (6-17 yr, median post-transplantation time of 22 months) and compared to the normal values obtained in healthy children as well as evaluated the reproducibility of the 6MWT. We analyzed the relationship between walked distance and the 6MWw, distance walked × body weight) with the anthropometric, clinical, and pulmonary functions. In post-transplanted group, the average walked distance was significantly shorter compared with control (687 ± 80 m vs. 511 ± 72 m, p < 0.001). The calculated ICC coefficient confirmed the reproducibility among tests. The Pearson correlation revealed that only walked distance in the 6MWT was moderately correlated with tidal volume. Conversely, the 6MWw was significantly correlated with age, weight, height, BMI, FVC, PEF rate, and volume expiratory. According to multiple regression analysis, age, VE and FVC factors explained 80% of the variance in the 6MWw. In conclusion, the pediatric liver transplant recipients' performance in the 6MWT is significantly lower than the values for healthy children of the same age. Notably, the 6MWw may provide relevant information, constituting an additional parameter in the determination of functional capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosângela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maria da Silva
authors.forename: Werther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brunow de Carvalho
authors.forename: Cíntia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borba de Castro
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manta Ferreira
authors.forename: Camilla L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anthero de Azevedo
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miziara Gonzalez
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moura Linhares
authors.forename: Alcides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augusto Salzedas-Netto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: children; liver transplantation; physical fitness; reproducibility; six-min walk test; stress test