2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

The association between sarcopenia and chronic infection

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K07915
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 52010:General internal medicine-related
Research Institution	Nagasaki University
Principal Investigator	Yamanashi Hirotomo 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 准教授 (60709864)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	延末謙一長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 助教 (20823272) 前田隆浩長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 教授 (40284674) 高橋健介長崎大学, 病院(医学系), 助教 (40567294) 中道聖子 (中山聖子) 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 准教授 (60457520) 泉田真生長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 助教 (90567299)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Keywords	サルコペニア
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Sarcopenia is characterized by a progressive skeletal muscle disorder that involves the loss of muscle mass and low muscle strength, which contributes to increased adverse outcomes. Few studies have investigated the association between chronic infection and sarcopenia. This study aimed to examine the association between human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) and sarcopenia. We conducted a cross-sectional study and enrolled 2,811 participants aged 40 years or over from a prospective cohort study in Japanese community dwellers during 2017- 2019. HTLV-1 was associated with sarcopenia among community-dwelling adults. Active surveillance and early detection of asymptomatic HTLV-1 infection might be beneficial to reinforce countermeasures to inhibit the progress of HTLV infection-associated sarcopenia.
Free Research Field	総合診療学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究では、無症候性HTLV-1感染症がサルコペニアと関連していることが明らかとなり、無症候性HTLV-1のスクリーニングや早期発見はこれまで報告されてきた動脈硬化や歯周病のみならず、サルコペニアの発症や進展に関わることが示唆された。この成果はサルコペニアの病態を明らかにすることはもちろん、HTLV-1に関連したサルコペニアを予防していくという新たな視点を提起した。今後、予防法の開発をはじめ、新たな研究分野の創生や介護予防等に貢献することが期待される。