Longitudinal study of resting energy expenditure, body cell mass and the inflammatory response in male patients with non-small cell lung cancer

The aim of this study was to examine the inter-relationship between the inf lammatory response and resting energy expenditure in patients with non-smal l cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before and after the onset of weight loss. Healt hy subjects (n = 7) and patients with NSCLC without weight loss (n = 13) we re studied. Resting energy expenditure adjusted for metabolically active ti ssue, as measured by total body potassium. was approximately 15% higher in the NSCLC group (P < 0.01). Moreover. the resting energy expenditure. corre lated with the magnitude of the inflammatory response (v = 0.753. P < 0.01) . Six cancer patients subsequently lost weight and the relationship between resting energy expenditure and the inflammatory response was maintained. T hese results highlight the impact of the inflammatory response on the incre ase in the resting energy expenditure which precedes the onset of weight lo ss in patients with NSCLC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All right s reserved.