Increased Plasma Ghrelin Level in Lung Cancer Cachexia

• Published in: Clinical cancer research Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 774 - 778
• Main Authors: SHIMIZU, Yoshito, NAGAYA, Noritoshi, ISOBE, Takeshi, IMAZU, Michinori, OKUMURA, Hiroyuki, HOSODA, Hiroshi, KOJIMA, Masayasu, KANGAWA, Kenji, KOHNO, Nobuoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.02.2003
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Cachexia - blood; Cachexia - etiology; Energy Intake; Female; Ghrelin; Human Growth Hormone - blood; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - blood; Lung Neoplasms - classification; Lung Neoplasms - complications; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Peptide Hormones - blood; Pneumology; Reference Values; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Human; Lung disease; Biological fluid; Respiratory disease; Rate; Bronchus disease; Advanced stage; Cachexia; Malignant tumor; Bronchopulmonary; Blood plasma
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

Purpose: Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide,has been shown to cause a positive energy balance by stimulating food intake and inducing adiposity. We sought to investigate the pathophysiology of ghrelin in cachexia associated with lung cancer. Experimental design: Plasma ghrelin level was measured in 43 patients with lung cancer and 21 control subjects. Patients with lung cancer were divided into two groups: patients with cachexia ( n = 21) and those without cachexia ( n = 22). Results: Plasma ghrelin level did not significantly differ between all patients with lung cancer and controls (157 ± 10 versus 132 ± 8 fmol/ml, P = 0.1). However, plasma ghrelin level was significantly higher in patients with cachexia than in those without cachexia (180 ± 17 versus 135 ± 10 fmol/ml, P = 0.011). Furthermore, plasma ghrelin level increased significantly in patients with decreased food intake after chemotherapy (from 136 ± 11 fmol/ml to 170 ± 16 fmol/ml on day 8, 179 ± 20 fmol/ml on day 21 after start of chemotherapy), although plasma ghrelin level did not significantly change in those without decreased food intake. Conclusions: Baseline plasma ghrelin level was elevated in cachectic patients with lung cancer, and follow-up plasma ghrelin level increased in patients with anorexia after chemotherapy. Considering the positive energy effects induced by ghrelin, increased ghrelin may represent a compensatory mechanism under catabolic–anabolic imbalance in cachectic patients with lung cancer.