Covid-19 and mitochondrial activity. Version 2.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the impact of COVID-19 infection on skeletal muscle.
IRAS ID
288936
Contact name
Beth Phillips
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 10 days
Research summary
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 has led to over 1million infections and over 50,000 deaths in the UK. The impact that COVID-19 has varies significantly between individuals and the reason behind this is not fully understood.
Our study aims to investigate the impact that COVID-19 infection has upon skeletal muscle. We will investigate the cellular impact of COVID-19 upon skeletal muscle by performing a biopsy of the vastus lateralis muscle. This biopsy sample will then be investigated for mitochondrial function, protein, and gene expression.
By performing bedside ultrasound scan measurements of the vastus lateralis muscle we will also be able to assess muscle structure. Neuromuscular studies will also be performed to investigate if COVID-19 infection leads to an impact upon the nerve supply to the muscle.
We plan to perform these investigations at 3-time points to investigate if the changes seen during the acute stage are longstanding and if there are any long-term impacts, as well as to assess the rate of recovery from infection.
Acute infection – performed during admission to hospital with COVID-19 associated illness
6-months post-infection
12- months post-infection
To attempt to gain knowledge on as to why some individuals are asymptomatic, others require levels of ventilatory support and for others, it is a fatal infection we will identify 2-groups of COVID-19 patients to see if there is an altered response within the muscle between these groups:
Admission but only oxygen requirement
Non-invasive ventilatory support
Our control group for comparison will be those patients with non-COVID-19 associated community-acquired pneumonia. The reason behind this is to ensure it is not the process of having a respiratory compromising condition leading to alterations in the muscle, but a specific change caused by the COVID-19 pathogen.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0002
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jan 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion