Effects of Low Level Laser Therapy on Functional Capacity and DNA Damage of Patients With Chronic Kidney Failure

This study aims to verify the effects of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on functional capacity, DNA damage, lower limbs muscle strength, quadriceps muscle architecture, muscle pain and perception of lower limb fatigue, inflammatory profile, oxidative stress and quality of life of patients with chronic kidney failure on hemodialysis. Patients will be randomized into two groups: the control group and the LLLT group. The control group will only be evaluated and reassessed. The LLLT group in addition to the evaluations will receive LLLT three times a week for eight weeks during HD. The evaluations will be performed pre-intervention, after 4 and 8 weeks of therapy. However, the muscle architecture evaluation will be performed only at pre intervention and after 8 weeks. The evaluations carried out are: six-minute walk test for functional capacity; alkaline comet assay for DNA damage; sit-and-lift test, and load cell dynamometry for evaluation of lower limbs muscle strength; quadriceps ultrasonography for muscle architecture and echogenicity; visual analogue scale for pain; subjective perception of effort by Borg scale for fatigue; measurement of interleukins 6 and 10, tumor necrosis factor, reative C protein and muscle damage markers (lactate, creatine kinase) for the inflammatory profile; protein carbonylation, superoxide dismutase, catalase, total sulfuric acid and dichlorofluorescein diacetate for oxidative stress and application of the Kidney Disease and Quality-of-Life-Short-Form and EQ-5D questionnaires for quality of life.