J Korean Med Sci.  2012 Feb;27(2):128-134. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.2.128.

Pathophysiological Role of Hormones and Cytokines in Cancer Cachexia

• Kim HJ
• Kim HJ
• Yun J
• Kim KH
• Kim SH
• Lee SC
• Bae SB
• Kim CK
• Lee NS
• Lee KT
• Park SK
• Won JH
• Park HS
• Hong DS

• KMID: 1120148
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.2.128

Abstract

We investigated the role of fasting hormones and pro-inflammatory cytokines in cancer patients. Hormones (ghrelin, adiponectin, and leptin) and cytokines (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6) were measured by ELISA or RIA in lung cancer and colorectal cancer patients before the administration of cancer therapy, and measurements were repeated every 2 months for 6 months. From June 2006 to August 2008, 42 patients (19 with colorectal cancer and 23 with lung cancer) were enrolled. In total, 21 patients were included in the cachexia group and the others served as a comparison group. No significant difference in the initial adiponectin, ghrelin, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, or IL-6 level was observed between groups, although leptin was significantly lower in cachectic patients than in the comparison group (15.3 +/- 19.5 vs 80.9 +/- 99.0 pg/mL, P = 0.007). During the follow-up, the patients who showed a > 5% weight gain had higher ghrelin levels after 6 months. Patients exhibiting elevated IL-6 levels typically showed a weight loss > 5% after 6 months. A blunted adiponectin or ghrelin response to weight loss may contribute to cancer cachexia and IL-6 may be responsible for inducing and maintaining cancer cachexia.

Keyword

Adiponectin; Cachexia; Cytokines; Ghrelin; Leptin

MeSH Terms

Adiponectin/analysis
Aged
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
Cachexia/*physiopathology
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy/*metabolism/mortality
Cytokines/*analysis
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Ghrelin/analysis
Humans
Interferon-gamma/analysis/physiology
Interleukin-6/analysis
Leptin/analysis
Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy/*metabolism/mortality
Male
Middle Aged
Peptide Hormones/*analysis
Prognosis
Prospective Studies
Survival Rate
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis
Weight Gain
Weight Loss

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Prognostic factors for survival.

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