EFFECT OF IBUPROFEN ON THE ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE AND PROTEIN-METABOLISM IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER AND WEIGHT-LOSS

The aim of this study was to determine whether administration of the n on-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent ibuprofen might attenuate the acu te-phase response in patients with colonic cancer. Cytokines and acute -phase proteins were measured before administration of ibuprofen and a gain 3 days later, when protein synthesis was measured using N-15-glyc ine. In patients with cancer, ibuprofen caused a significant reduction in the plasma concentration of all five acute-phase proteins studied. Although interleukin 6 levels were raised, they did not change follow ing administration of ibuprofen. Unlike the situation in patients with cancer who did not receive ibuprofen, whole-body protein kinetics wer e similar to those of control subjects in patients with cancer who rec eived ibuprofen. Whether or not ibuprofen had been administered, non-e xport hepatic protein synthesis rates were significantly lower in pati ents with than in those without cancer. These results suggest that sho rt-term administration of ibuprofen can attenuate accelerated whole-bo dy protein kinetics and the acute-phase response in patients with adva nced cancer.