OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their impact on physical function. METHODS: Consecutive patients with RA were recruited from September 2019 to April 2024 at Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. Clinical data including disease acti-vity, physical function and radiographic assessment were collected. All patients also finished measurement of body composition, grip strength, and gait speed, and overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass as well as malnutrition, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and cachexia were evaluated. The Stanford health assessment questionnaire- disability index (HAQ-DI) was used to evaluate physical function. Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of physical dysfunction. RESULTS: A total of 1 016 RA patients were recruited. Their mean age was (52.4±12.5) years, and 82.5% were female. There were 557 cases (54.8%) with overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass and all of them were malnutrition. On this basis, 326 cases (32.1%) exhibited sarcopenia, 124 (12.2%) sarcopenic obesity, and 33 (3.2%) cachexia. There were 584 (57.4%) of RA patients having physical dysfunction, with varying degrees of severity 421 (41.4%) mild, 124 (12.2%) moderate, and 39 (3.8%) severe. Compared with patients without overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass (n=459) or with malnutrition only (n=231), RA patients with both malnutrition and sarcopenia (n=326) had significantly higher core disease activity indicators and higher rate of physical dysfunction (69.6% vs. 42.0% vs. 56.6%). However, compared with patients without overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass, patients with malnutrition only had lower HAQ-DI score (median 0.0 vs. 0.1) and lower rate of physical dysfunction (42.0% vs. 56.6%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that simultaneously overlapping malnutrition and sarcopenia were associated factors of physical dysfunction (OR=2.021, 95%CI: 1.067-3.828), but malnutrition only was not. CONCLUSION Simultaneously overlapping malnutrition and sarcopenia can deteriorate disease activity and physical dysfunction in RA patients. The screening and evaluation of overlapping syndromes of low muscle mass, especially sarcopenia should be emphasized in patients with RA.
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology* ; Female ; Male ; Sarcopenia/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Cachexia/diagnosis* ; Malnutrition/etiology* ; Obesity/physiopathology* ; Body Composition ; Syndrome ; Hand Strength ; Adult ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in the serum and the rectus abdominis muscle in patients with gastric cancer and its relationship with the nutritional status. Method Clinical data of 102 patients with gastric cancer (gastric cancer group) and 53 patients with benign abdominal disease (control group) who were admitted to Zhejiang Province People's Hospital from January 2008 to October 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the serum expression of TWEAK. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of TWEAK in the rectus abdominis muscle. Relationship between TWEAK expression and nutritional status of gastric cancer patients was examined.

RESULTSThe relative expression level of TWEAK protein in serum of gastric cancer group and control group was 0.403±0.065 and 0.148±0.036 respectively. The relative expression of TWEAK mRNA in the rectus abdominis muscle tissue was 0.313±0.089 (gastric cancer group) and 0.118±0.005 (control group). The relative expression of TWEAK protein in the rectus abdominis muscle tissue was 0.197±0.064 (gastric cancer group) and 0.066±0.014 (control group), and the differences were statistically significant (both P=0.000). The high expression of TWEAK (high than median) in rectus abdominis muscle of gastric cancer patients was related to the percentage of more than 10% decline in body weight (P=0.000), the small percentage of ideal body weight at the time of admission (P=0.000), BMI<20 kg/m(P=0.023), higher NRS2002 nutritional risk screening score (P=0.000), lower prognostic nutrition index (P=0.000) and serum albumin <35 g/L (P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of TWEAK in serum and rectus abdominis muscle of gastric cancer patients up-regulates compared to non-tumor patients. The expression level of TWEAK in the rectus abdominis muscle of gastric cancer patients is closely related to poor nutritional status, suggesting that TWEAK may play a key role in the process of cachexia of gastric cancer patients.

Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Cachexia ; etiology ; Cytokine TWEAK ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Nutritional Status ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

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.
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

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the surgical treatment of tricuspid valve disease combined with cardiac cachexia.

METHODSSeven patients with heavy tricuspid valve disease combined with cardiac cachexia underwent tricuspid valve replacement. Heart function and nutrition status were improved in the perioperative period.

RESULTAll operations were performed successfully, but one patient died of heavy heart failure postoperatively. The mean follow-up length was 32 months, all patients had good heart function except one with minor right heart function failure.

CONCLUSIONProsthetic heart valve replacement is an effective treatment for patients with serious tricuspid valve disease combined with cardiac cachexia. The perioperative nutrition support and heart function improvement are important in the treatment process.

Adult ; Aged ; Cachexia ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Support ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; surgery ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Tricuspid Valve Stenosis ; physiopathology ; surgery