Sarcopenia and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SAJI)

June 3, 2026 updated by: CHU de Reims

Prevalence Study of Sarcopenia in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a rare chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that begins during childhood and may persist into adulthood in many patients. In addition to joint pain, swelling, and long-term articular damage, chronic inflammatory diseases may also be associated with early sarcopenia, defined as a loss of muscle strength and muscle mass. While this association has been described in adult inflammatory rheumatic diseases, it has not been well studied in patients with JIA.

The aim of this study is to screen for sarcopenia in adolescents and adults with JIA in France. Sarcopenia will be assessed using validated questionnaires, hand grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer, and body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Completion of validated questionnaires will assess nutritional status, fatigue, physical activity, and functional impact. Socio-demographic and clinical data will also be collected from medical records.

This multicenter cross-sectional study will be conducted between June 2026 and October 2027 in 11 French hospitals. Eligible participants are patients aged 15 to 40 years with JIA diagnosed according to ILAR criteria and followed in a French hospital.

This study will provide the first estimate of sarcopenia prevalence among patients with JIA in France. It will also help identify factors associated with sarcopenia and its impact on daily functioning and quality of life. In the longer term, the findings may help clinicians better identify patients at risk and support earlier management focused on disease control, physical activity, and nutritional care.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a national multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in 11 French hospitals between June 2026 and October 2027. The study aims to assess sarcopenia in adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) during a routine rheumatology follow-up visit.

After receiving study information and providing informed consent (with parental/legal guardian consent for minors, according to applicable regulations), participants will undergo a standardized single study assessment during routine care. This assessment will include measurement of hand grip strength using a Jamar dynamometer, whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for body composition and appendicular lean mass evaluation, and completion of validated questionnaires addressing nutritional status, fatigue, physical activity, and functional impact. Additional socio-demographic and clinical data related to JIA history, disease characteristics, and treatments will be collected from medical records.

The study is designed to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with JIA in France and to explore factors associated with sarcopenia and its functional impact. If sarcopenia is identified, additional management may be proposed by the treating physician as part of usual care.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

inclusion criteria :

  • Patients followed in French hospitals participating in the study for juvenile idiopathic arthritis, all forms combined, diagnosed according to the ILAR criteria defined in Edmonton in 2001
  • Patients aged 15 to 40 years
  • Affiliated to social security
  • Agreeing to participate in the study and having given their written consent (signed consent form).

In the case of a minor patient, the consent of the patient and their legal guardians is required.

exclusion criteria :

  • Patient under legal guardianship
  • Patient not covered by social security
  • Pregnant woman
  • Inability to perform a functional test required by the study (grip test or whole-body DEXA scan)
  • Inability to understand the questionnaires

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Single group of adolescents and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis undergoing a standardized sarcopenia screening assessment at inclusion.
Other: Sarcopenia screening assessment
Participants will undergo a standardized single-visit assessment including hand grip strength measurement, whole-body DEXA scan for body composition, validated questionnaires, and collection of socio-demographic and clinical data from medical records.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sarcopenia
Time Frame: Day 1

A cross-sectional assessment of sarcopenia for each included patient will be performed at a participating hospital center:

Performance of a hand grip test using a hand dynamometer (3 consecutive measurements on the dominant hand) and a whole-body DEXA scan with measurement of the appendiceal mass index Confirmation by the best grip test value < -2 SD according to the patient's age and sex on the reference curves associated with a pathological whole-body DEXA (appendiceal mass index ≤ 7 kg/m2 for men, ≤ 5.5 kg/m2 for women)
Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fatigue assessed by FACIT-F
Time Frame: Day 1
Fatigue assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) questionnaire
Day 1
Physical activity assessed by IPAQ
Time Frame: Day 1
Physical activity assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
Day 1
Functional disability assessed by HAQ-DI
Time Frame: Day 1
Functional disability assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI).
Day 1
Health-related quality of life assessed by SF-12
Time Frame: Day 1
Health-related quality of life assessed using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

CHU de Reims

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PL26052

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Clinical Trials on Sarcopenia screening assessment

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in South Africa

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe