Prognostic significance of CT-determined sarcopenia in patients with advanced gastric cancer. PLoS One. 2018;13:e0202700. [PMID: 30125312 PMCID: PMC6101416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202700]

Prognostic significance of sarcopenia in microsatellite-stable gastric cancer patients treated with programmed death-1 inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia has been underscored as a significant predictor of poor prognosis in cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy with programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of computed tomography (CT)-determined sarcopenia in patients with microsatellite-stable (MSS) gastric cancer (GC) treated with PD-1 inhibitors.

METHODS

We retrospectively assessed patients with MSS GC who had been treated with PD-1 inhibitors from March 2016 to June 2019. Pre-treatment sarcopenic status was determined by analyzing L3 skeletal muscle index with abdominal CT. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the differences in survival probability according to sarcopenic status were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of PFS and OS.

RESULTS

Of 149 patients with MSS GC (mean age, 57.0 ± 12.3 years; 93 men), 79 (53.0%) had sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia had significantly shorter PFS than patients without sarcopenia (median, 1.4 months vs. 2.6 months; P = 0.026). Sarcopenia was independently associated with shorter PFS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-2.93; P = 0.020). Patients with sarcopenia had shorter OS than patients without sarcopenia (median, 3.6 months vs. 4.9 months; P = 0.052), but sarcopenia itself was not a significant prognostic factor for OS (adjusted HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.58-1.75; P = 0.974).

CONCLUSIONS

CT-determined sarcopenia is an independent prognostic factor for PFS in patients with MSS GC treated with PD-1 inhibitors.

Psoas muscle depletion during preoperative chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer has a negative impact on long-term outcomes after gastrectomy

Aim

The significance of sarcopenia in cancers has been widely recognized. However, few studies have focused on chronological changes in sarcopenia in cancer patients. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of changes in the psoas muscle area before and after preoperative chemotherapy.

Methods

This study included 39 patients who underwent gastrectomy followed by preoperative chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer between January 2010 and December 2016 in our hospital. The psoas muscle area was measured at the umbilical level before and after chemotherapy, and the relationship between its chronological changes and the long‐term prognosis was examined.

Results

Patients were classified into two groups according to changes in the psoas muscle area before and after preoperative chemotherapy: remarkable muscle depletion and normal groups. No significant differences were observed in clinicopathological factors. Notably, the remarkable muscle depletion group included significantly more male patients (P = .018) and showed a high weight loss rate (P < .001). Although no significant difference was observed in the recurrence‐free survival between the two groups (P = .484), overall survival was significantly worse in the remarkable muscle depletion group (P < .001). Multivariate analysis for prognosis revealed that pathological stage III or higher (P = .022) and decreased psoas muscle area (P = .038) were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that psoas muscle depletion during preoperative chemotherapy is a prognostic factor for poor long‐term outcomes in patients who underwent gastrectomy followed by preoperative chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.

Pathophysiological mechanisms explaining poor clinical outcome of older cancer patients with low skeletal muscle mass

Low skeletal muscle mass is highly prevalent in older cancer patients and affects 5% to 89% depending on the type and stage of cancer. Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with poor clinical outcomes such as post-operative complications, chemotherapy toxicity and mortality in older cancer patients. Little is known about the mediating pathophysiological mechanisms. In this review, we summarize proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the association between low skeletal muscle mass and poor clinical outcomes in older cancer patients including a) systemic inflammation; b) insulin-dependent glucose handling; c) mitochondrial function; d) protein status and; e) pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs. The mechanisms of altered myokine balance negatively affecting the innate and adaptive immune system, and altered pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs leading to a relative overdosage of anticancer drugs are best-substantiated. The effects of glucose intolerance and circulating mitochondrial DNA as a consequence of low skeletal muscle mass are topics of interest for future research. Restoring myokine balance through physical exercise, exercise mimetics, neuro-muscular activation and adapting anticancer drug dosing on skeletal muscle mass could be targeted approaches to improve clinical outcomes in older cancer patients with low skeletal muscle mass.

Polish version of SARC-F to assess sarcopenia in older adults: An examination of reliability and validity

INTRODUCTION

SARC-F is a quick questionnaire recommended as a screening tool for sarcopenia. The aim of the study was to translate, adapt, and validate the Polish version of the SARC-F for community-dwelling older adults in Poland.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included 160 Polish volunteers aged ≥ 60 years (44% of men). The Polish version of SARC-F was adapted following standardized forward-backward translation procedure. SARC-F was validated against the six sets of diagnostic criteria as the reference standards [developed independently by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People1 (EWGSOP1), European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People2 (EWGSOP2), Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project, Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), the International Working Group for Sarcopenia (IWGS), and Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (SCWD)].

RESULTS

SARC-F score ≥ 4 points was observed in 18.8% of the study population. Cronbach's alpha was 0.70. The sensitivity of SARC-F varied from 33.3% to 50.0% depending on the diagnostics criteria used, while the specificity was about 85%. Positive predictive value (PPV) was low (about 30%) for five out of six sets of the diagnostic criteria used (EWGSOP2, IWGS, AWGS, FNIH, and SCWD), while the negative predictive value (NPV) was generally high (>88%). The area under the ROC curves (AUC) was 0.652-0.728. SARC-F had the largest AUC against FNIH criteria (0.728), indicating a moderate diagnostic accuracy. Similar results were found for EWGSOP2 and IWGS criteria. The AUC values were below 0.7 for AWGS, SCWD, and EWGSOP1 criteria.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results, the Polish version of SARC-F shows excellent reliability and good internal consistency. High specificity and high NPV make SARC-F a useful tool to rule-out sarcopenia with high accuracy in community-dwelling older adults, independently of the diagnostic criteria used.

Prognostic significance of nutritional markers in metastatic gastric and esophageal adenocarcinoma

Background

Malnutrition and sarcopenia are poor prognostic factors in many cancers. Studies in gastric and esophageal (GE) cancer have focused on curative intent patients. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic utility of malnutrition and sarcopenia in de novo metastatic GE adenocarcinoma.

Methods

Patients with de novo metastatic GE adenocarcinoma seen at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from 2010 to 2016 with an available pre‐treatment abdominal computed tomography (CT) were included. Malnutrition was defined as nutritional risk index (NRI) <97.5. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured at the L3 level (sarcopenia defined as SMI <34.4 cm²/m² in women and <45.4 cm²/m² in men). Patients receiving chemotherapy had NRI and SMI recalculated at the time of first restaging CT.

Results

Of 175 consecutive patients, 33% were malnourished and 39% were sarcopenic at baseline. Patients with pretreatment malnourishment had significantly shorter overall survival (OS; 5.8 vs. 10.9 months, p = 0.000475). Patients who became malnourished during chemotherapy had worse OS compared to those who maintained their nutrition (12.2 vs. 17.5 months p = 0.0484). On univariable analysis, ECOG (p < 0.001), number of metastatic sites (p = 0.029) and NRI (p < 0.001) were significant prognostic factors while BMI (p = 0.57) and sarcopenia (p = 0.19) were not. On multivariable analysis, ECOG (p < 0.001), baseline NRI (p = 0.025), and change in NRI during treatment (p < 0.001) were significant poor prognostic factors for OS.

Conclusions

In de novo metastatic GE adenocarcinoma patients, ECOG, pretreatment NRI and change in NRI were significant prognostic factors for OS while sarcopenia was not. Use of NRI at baseline and during treatment can provide useful prognostic information.

Sarcopenia: Clinical implications in ovarian cancer, diagnosis, etiology, and management

Sarcopenia, loss of skeletal muscle and function, is a common condition among the elderly and is known to cause adverse health outcomes and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. This progressive and generalized disorder imposes a considerable socioeconomic burden. Sarcopenia is observed commonly in cancer patients. As Asia is one of the fastest aging regions in the world, it is clear that incidences of both sarcopenia and ovarian cancer will increase together in Asian countries. Ovarian cancer patients are vulnerable to develop sarcopenia during the treatment course and progress of disease, and a considerable number of patients with ovarian cancer seems to have physical inactivity and sarcopenia already at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, management of sarcopenia should be conducted together in parallel with ovarian cancer treatment and surveillance. Thus, in this article, we will review the clinical importance of sarcopenia in the aspect of ovarian cancer. Definition of sarcopenia, diagnosis, etiology, and intervention will be also introduced.

Influence of Internal Iliac Artery Embolization during Endovascular Aortic Repair Regarding Postoperative Sarcopenia and Midterm Survival

BACKGROUND

Postoperative sarcopenia is a risk factor for postoperative mortality. Internal iliac artery embolization (IIAE) during endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) has ischemic effects on pelvic skeletal muscles because IIAE causes buttock claudication. The long-term effects of IIAE on pelvic skeletal muscle, however, have not been well investigated. We hypothesized that IIAE after EVAR induces a decrease in skeletal muscle, which leads to postoperative sarcopenia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent EVAR from 2009 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Skeletal muscle areas (SMAs) at the third lumbar level and the mid-femoral level were measured on transverse computed tomographic images. Postoperative sarcopenia was defined as a >10% decrease in the L3 SMA as established in a previous study. We assessed the association between postoperative sarcopenia and IIAE.

RESULTS

Altogether, 102 eligible patients who underwent elective EVAR comprised the study group. The L3 SMA at the 3-year follow-up evaluation was significantly smaller in patients with than without IIAE (P < 0.05). The SMAs of the psoas, lumbar, and thigh muscles were significantly smaller on the IIAE than non-IIAE side (P < 0.05). IIAE was thus revealed as an independent risk factor for postoperative sarcopenia (hazard ratio, 4.69; P = 0.008). In addition, patients who developed postoperative sarcopenia had a lower overall survival rate than those without postoperative sarcopenia (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

IIAE during EVAR is a risk factor for postoperative sarcopenia, which is in turn associated with mortality. Hence, we should preserve the internal iliac artery whenever possible. Alternatively, if IIAE is deemed necessary, we should postoperatively institute protocols to prevent sarcopenia from developing.

Distribution and Characteristics of Pancreatic Volume Using Computed Tomography Volumetry

OBJECTIVES

Changes in the pancreatic volume (PV) are useful as potential clinical markers for some pancreatic-related diseases. The objective of this study was to measure the volume of the pancreas using computed tomography (CT) volumetry and to evaluate the relationships between sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and sarcopenia.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the abdominal CT scans of 1,003 subjects whose ages ranged between 10 and 90 years. The pancreas was segmented manually to define the region of interest (ROI) based on CT images, and then the PVs were measured by counting the voxels in all ROIs within the pancreas boundary. Sarcopenia was identified by examination of CT images that determined the crosssectional area of the skeletal muscle around the third lumbar vertebra.

RESULTS

The mean volume of the pancreas was 62.648 ± 19.094 cm3. The results indicated a negative correlation between the PV and age. There was a positive correlation between the PV and BMI for both sexes, females, and males (r = 0.343, p < 0.001; r = 0.461, p < 0.001; and r = 0.244, p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the PV and sarcopenia for females (r = 0.253, p < 0.001) and males (r = 0.200, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

CT pancreas volumetry results may help physicians follow up or predict conditions of the pancreas after interventions for pancreatic-related disease in the future.

Establishment of normative biometric data for body composition based on computed tomography in a North American cohort

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Accurate and reproducible biomarkers are required to allow a more personalized approach to patient care. Body composition is one such biomarker affecting outcomes in a range of surgical and oncological conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the age and sex specific distribution of body composition data, based on information gathered from computed tomography (CT).

METHODS

This prospective study used healthy subjects from the medical records linkage of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, based in Minnesota, USA. Each patient had a CT scan without intravenous contrast performed between 1999 and 2001. Quantification was performed using previously validated semi-automated in-house developed software for body composition analysis. Subcutaneous adipose tissue area, visceral adipose tissue area, intermuscular adipose tissue area and skeletal muscle area were measured and indexed to subject height. Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape were used to assess the location, scale, and shape of each variable across age, stratified by sex. Z-scores specific to sex were assessed for each of the parameters analyzed. Age-specific z-scores were calculated using the formula: Z = (Index Variable - μ)/σ or Z = (√ (Index Variable) - μ)/σ.

RESULTS

There were 692 subjects enrolled in the study. The fitted model equation was offered for each variable with values presented for μ and σ. Modelling with penalized splines was performed for VAT index, IMAT index and total adipose tissue index. Scatterplots of each variable were produced with lines of Z-scores as a visual representation.

CONCLUSION

This study offers comparative data to allow comparison amongst multiple populations. This will form an important reference for future research and clinical practice.

An ascites grading system for predicting the prognosis of gastric cancer with peritoneum dissemination

AIM

Gastric cancer with peritoneum dissemination is intractable with surgical resection. The evaluation of the degree of dissemination using computed tomography (CT) is difficult. We focused on the amount of ascites based on CT findings and established a scaling system to predict these patients' prognoses.

METHODS

We extracted individual data from a population-based cohort. Patients diagnosed with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma with peritoneum dissemination were enrolled. Two raters evaluated the CT images and determined the grade of ascites in each patient: grade 0 indicated no ascites in all slices; grade 1 indicated ascites detected only in the upper or lower abdominal cavity; grade 2 indicated ascites detected in both the upper and lower abdominal cavities; and grade 3 indicated ascites extending continuously from the pelvic cavity to the upper abdominal cavity. We evaluated the relationship between the ascites grade and survival time. After adjusting for other clinical factors, we calculated hazard ratios of each ascites grade.

RESULTS

A total of 718 patients were enrolled. The number of patients with grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 303, 223, 94, and 98, respectively. The median overall survival times were 16.0, 8.7, 5.4, and 3.0 months for ascites on CT grades 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P < .001). The adjusted hazard ratios for the survival time were 1.74 (1.33-2.26, P < .001), 3.20 (2.25-4.57, P < .001), and 4.76 (3.16-7.17, P < .001) for grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We established a new grading system of pretreatment ascites to better predict the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Patients triaged to neoadjuvant chemotherapy have higher rates of sarcopenia: An opportunity for prehabilitation

OBJECTIVE

To compare baseline body composition measures (BCM), including sarcopenia, between patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy/interval cytoreductive surgery (NACT/ICS) and evaluate changes in BCM pre-NACT versus pre-ICS.

METHODS

Patients with stage IIIC/IV EOC who underwent PCS or NACT with curative intent between 1/1/2012 and 7/31/2016 were included. Computed tomography scans were evaluated via a semi-automated program to determine BCM. Measures evaluated include skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle density (SMD), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and skeletal muscle gauge (SMG). Sarcopenia was defined as SMI <39.0 cm²/m².

RESULTS

The study included 200 PCS patients and 85 NACT/ICS patients, of which 76 had both pre-NACT and pre-ICS scans. NACT patients were significantly more likely to be sarcopenic compared to PCS patients (40.0% vs 27.5%, p = 0.04). Mean SMA (107.3 vs 113.4 cm², p = 0.004) and mean SMG (1344.6 vs. 1456.9 (cm² x HU)/m², p = 0.06) were lower in NACT patients. Among NACT/ICS patients, mean SMI significantly decreased -1.4 cm²/m² (p = 0.005) at the time of surgery, resulting in a non-statistically significant increase in the percentage of sarcopenic patients from baseline (40.8% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia is more common in patients with advanced EOC undergoing NACT compared to PCS when using an evidence-based triage system for triage decisions. Body composition changes significantly over the course of NACT. Sarcopenia may be an indicator of debility and another factor for consideration in treatment planning. Further research into body composition's effects on prognosis and altering sarcopenia is necessary.

Loss of skeletal muscle mass during palliative chemotherapy is a poor prognostic factor in patients with advanced gastric cancer

Cancer causes muscle mass loss, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy may also reduce muscle mass. We investigated skeletal muscle mass change during palliative chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and its association with treatment outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed 111 consecutive AGC patients who underwent first-line palliative chemotherapy. Skeletal muscle area was measured before and after chemotherapy at the third lumbar vertebra level using computed tomography scans. We compared skeletal muscle index (SMI), body mass index (BMI), and body weight changes to chemotherapy response and survival. The 80 male and 31 female patients’ median age was 65 (range 31–87) years, and 46.8% had sarcopenia at baseline. Median pre-chemotherapy to post-chemotherapy SMI, BMI, and body weight decreases were − 4.5 cm²/m² (− 11.3%) (P < 0.001); − 0.7 kg/m² (− 3.2%) (P < 0.001); and − 2.0 kg (− 3.5%) (P < 0.001), respectively. Median SMI decreases for patients with objective response, stable disease, and disease progression were − 4.0 cm²/m² (range − 20.1 ~ 9.5); − 4.5 cm²/m² (range − 19.8 ~ 0.8); and − 3.8 cm²/m² (range: − 17.6 ~ 0.1), respectively. Response to chemotherapy was not associated with SMI decrease (P = 0.463). In multivariable analysis, sarcopenia at baseline (HR 1.681; 95% CI 1.083–2.609, P = 0.021), decreased SMI (HR 1.620; 95% CI 1.041–2.520; P = 0.032) were significant poor prognostic factors for survival. Skeletal muscle mass decreased significantly during chemotherapy in AGC patients, but was not associated with chemotherapy response. Decreased SMI was a poor prognostic factor in AGC patients during first-line palliative chemotherapy.

Evaluation of Sarcopenia with F-18 FDG PET/CT and relation with disease outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma

INTRODUCTION

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a potentially incurable haematological malignancy with devastating manifestations including lytic bone lesions leading to fractures and renal insufficiency. As a disease of patients with a mean age of 66 years, both the disease and the continuous efforts of treatments lead to frailty and devastation. From this stand point, we aimed to evaluate the development of muscle loss in MM patients and also with a new method of sarcopenia evaluation, F-18 FDG PET/CT. While used for bone disease routinely, this method brings a fresh perspective of metabolic quantitation of alteration of muscles which may be regarded as muscle quality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data and images of 105 patients with MM both before and after treatment were evaluated in a retrospective manner.

RESULTS

Both female and male patients were observed to be effected after MM treatment in terms of lumbar and femoral muscle evaluations with CT. Metabolic evaluations confirmed a loss of quality in muscles in terms of metabolic volume and total lesion glycolysis.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia should be evaluated in every patient and regarded as a treatment target. FDG PET/CT is an easy and handy tool to assess muscle mass and quality as well as MM disease status.

Assessment of body composition and impact of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients with gastric cancer

Malnutrition is a critical problem in patients with gastric cancer (GC); however, no universally accepted marker that is convenient for clinical use has been defined. Recently, body composition has attracted considerable attention as a means to assess nutrition status in patients with cancer. The clinical role of skeletal muscle mass has also been increasingly recognized. In patients with GC, sarcopenia, which is the loss of skeletal muscle mass, was found to be significantly associated with increased post-surgical complications including hospital stay, healthcare costs, and poor survival. In addition, sarcopenic obesity, which combines the health risks of obesity and sarcopenia, is recognized as a strong risk factor for poor short- and long-term outcomes following gastrectomy. The mechanism linking sarcopenia to worse postoperative outcomes remains unclear; however, skeletal muscle has been found to act as an endocrine organ that produces substances affecting the immune system. In addition, sarcopenia was reported to be associated with toxicity and termination of chemotherapy. Patients with sarcopenia may be unable to react appropriately to the stress of gastrectomy and perioperative chemotherapy. To improve the short- and long-term outcomes of patients with GC and sarcopenia, adequate energy and protein intake are necessary during resistance training. In the present study, we performed a literature review and presented a method to evaluate body composition, the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and GC, and perioperative nutrition and exercise therapy for patients with sarcopenia.

Impact of CT-Determined Sarcopenia and Body Composition on Survival Outcome in Patients with Advanced-Stage High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

This study aimed to investigate the impact of sarcopenia and body composition on survival outcomes in Korean patients with advanced-stage high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). We retrospectively identified patients diagnosed with and treated for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III-IV HGSOC. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured using pre-treatment computed tomography scans at the third lumbar vertebra. Sarcopenia was defined as SMI <39.0 cm²/m². Patients' clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes were compared according to sarcopenia presence. For subgroup analysis, we also measured the total fat area from the same image. In total, 76 and 103 patients were assigned to the sarcopenia and control groups, respectively. Comorbidities, stage, serum CA-125 levels, and size of residual tumor after surgery were similar between both groups. After a median follow up of 42.7 months, both groups showed similar progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). In subgroup analysis confined to the sarcopenia group, patients with high fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR; ≥2.1, n = 38) showed significantly worse OS than those with low FMR (<2.1, n = 38) (5-year survival rate, 44.7% vs. 80.0%; p = 0.046), whereas PFS was not different (p = 0.365). Multivariate analyses identified high FMR as an independent poor prognostic factor for OS in this group (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.377; 95% confidence interval, 1.1709.752; p = 0.024). In conclusion, sarcopenia did not influence recurrence rates and survival in Korean patients with advanced-stage HGSOC. However, among the patients with sarcopenia, high FMR was associated with decreased OS.

The prevalence of sarcopenia and its effect on prognosis in patients with Crohn's disease

Background/Aims

Crohn’s disease is associated with altered body composition, such as low muscle mass, which can affect clinical outcomes. However, there are few studies regarding the effect of sarcopenia on prognosis of Crohn’s disease. In this study, we evaluated the body composition at the initial diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and analyzed the clinical meaning of sarcopenia.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of patients who were diagnosed as Crohn’s disease and underwent computed tomography within 3 months after diagnosis. Sarcopenia was defined as an L3 skeletal muscle index (SMI) of < 49 cm²/m² for men and < 31 cm²/m² for women. Outcomes such as need for hospitalization, surgery, use of steroids, immunomodulators and biologics were analyzed.

Results

A total of 79 patients (male, 73.4%; mean age, 29.9 years) were included and 40 patients (51%) were diagnosed as sarcopenia. C-reactive protein (CRP) level was correlated with sarcopenia (P= 0.044). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) showed a tendency to decrease inversely with SMI (r = –0.320, P= 0.008) and hemoglobin and albumin tended to increase in proportion to SMI (hemoglobin: r = 0.271, P= 0.016 and albumin: r = 0.350, P= 0.002). However, there was no statistically significance in time-to-first-event analysis in aspects of sarcopenia.

Conclusions

Approximately 50% of patients with newly diagnosed as Crohn’s disease had sarcopenia. CRP levels were higher in the sarcopenia group and SMI correlated with ESR, hemoglobin, and albumin. However, none of prognostic values were demonstrated.

Sarcopenic Factors May Have No Impact on Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Although the prognostic value of sarcopenic factors, such as loss of muscle mass and quality, have been widely reported in patients with cancer during the last decade, the value in those with ovarian cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the prognostic impact of sarcopenic factors in patients with ovarian cancer. We retrospectively evaluated the data of 94 ovarian cancer patients who underwent surgery and chemotherapy at the Shimane University Hospital between March 2006 and 2013. Preoperative computed tomography scan at the level of the third lumbar vertebra was used to evaluate skeletal muscle volume and quality based on the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), respectively. The impact of preoperative SMI and IMAC on outcomes was subsequently investigated. Low SMI and high IMAC were not significantly associated with disease-free survival (p = 0.329 and p = 0.3370, respectively) or poor overall survival (p = 0.921 and p = 0.988, respectively). Neither preoperative low muscle volume nor low muscle quality was a poor prognostic factor in ovarian cancer.

Cachexia Anorexia Syndrome and Associated Metabolic Dysfunction in Peritoneal Metastasis

Patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of gastrointestinal and gynecological origin present with a nutritional deficit characterized by increased resting energy expenditure (REE), loss of muscle mass, and protein catabolism. Progression of peritoneal metastasis, as with other advanced malignancies, is associated with cancer cachexia anorexia syndrome (CAS), involving poor appetite (anorexia), involuntary weight loss, and chronic inflammation. Eventual causes of mortality include dysfunctional metabolism and energy store exhaustion. Etiology of CAS in PM patients is multifactorial including tumor growth, host response, cytokine release, systemic inflammation, proteolysis, lipolysis, malignant small bowel obstruction, ascites, and gastrointestinal side effects of drug therapy (chemotherapy, opioids). Metabolic changes of CAS in PM relate more to a systemic inflammatory response than an adaptation to starvation. Metabolic reprogramming is required for cancer cells shed into the peritoneal cavity to resist anoikis (i.e., programmed cell death). Profound changes in hexokinase metabolism are needed to compensate ineffective oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. During the development of PM, hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays a key role in activating both aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis, increasing the uptake of glucose, lipid, and glutamine into cancer cells. HIF-1α upregulates hexokinase II, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK), pyruvate kinase muscle isoenzyme 2 (PKM2), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose transporters (GLUT) and promotes cytoplasmic glycolysis. HIF-1α also stimulates the utilization of glutamine and fatty acids as alternative energy substrates. Cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity interact with cancer-associated fibroblasts and adipocytes to meet metabolic demands and incorporate autophagy products for growth. Therapy of CAS in PM is challenging. Optimal nutritional intake alone including total parenteral nutrition is unable to reverse CAS. Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) stabilized nutritional status in a significant proportion of PM patients. Agents targeting the mechanisms of CAS are under development.

Sarcopenia as an independent predictor of the surgical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at risk of sarcopenia, which is associated with poor clinical outcomes. We conducted this study to assess whether sarcopenia predicts the need for surgery and postoperative complications in patients with IBD. We performed a systematic search of four electronic databases, last updated in March, 2019. Data from studies comparing rates of surgery and postoperative complications in sarcopenic IBD patients versus non-sarcopenic IBD patients were pooled with the random-effects models. We calculated the odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Ten studies with a collective total of 885 IBD patients were included in our meta-analysis. Although the analysis of raw data did not reveal significant differences between the two groups with respect to the rate of surgery and postoperative complications (OR = 1.826; 95% CI 0.913–3.654; p = 0.089 and OR = 3.265; 95% CI 0.575–18.557; p = 0.182, respectively), the analysis of adjusted data identified sarcopenia as an independent predictor for both of the undesirable outcomes (OR = 2.655; 95% CI 1.121–6.336; p = 0.027 and OR = 6.097; 95% CI 1.756–21.175; p = 0.004, respectively). Thus, early detection of sarcopenia in patients with IBD is important to prevent undesirable outcomes.

Investigation of the relationship between bladder function and sarcopenia using pressure flow studies in elderly male patients

AIMS

Although detrusor underactivity is often encountered in elderly patients, the etiology remains unclear. We have hypothesized that sarcopenia was associated with impaired bladder contractility. Therefore, we have evaluated the relationship between bladder contractility and clinical parameters including sarcopenia markers in elderly male patients.

METHODS

This retrospective, single-centre study included male patients over 65 years of age who underwent a pressure flow study (PFS). We excluded patients with any previous medical histories that could affect bladder function, currently on urinary medication, and with no available data of abdominal CT scan. The psoas muscle area (PMA) (cm² /m² ) was measured as a surrogate for psoas muscle mass on computed tomography. PMA, serum CRP, and albumin are known as sarcopenia markers. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of bladder contractility index (BCI) with the following parameters: age, body mass index (BMI), prostate volume, bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, and PMA.

RESULTS

Out of 558 male patients identified in our PFS database, 119 patients were enrolled. In the correlation analysis, age, prostate volume, serum albumin, BOOI, and PMA significantly correlated with BCI. However, no significant correlation of BCI with CRP or BMI was observed. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum albumin, BOOI, and PMA were significantly associated with BCI.

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated that serum albumin and PMA were significantly positively associated with detrusor contractility. It is possible that sarcopenia is associated with impaired detrusor contractility.