HUMAN ADIPOCYTE APOPTOSIS OCCURS IN MALIGNANCY

Rapid weight toss is frequently seen in malignancy. This weight loss i s considered to result from enhanced lipolysis. Here, we show that adi pocyte deletion by apoptosis, demonstrated by electron microscopy and DNA gel electrophoresis, occurs in some patients. Adipocyte apoptosis could not be demonstrated in patients without malignancy. These findin gs suggest that fat cell loss by apoptosis plays a role in malignancy- associated weight loss. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.