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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #126086
Title: TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-A (TNF) PRODUCTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH LESS BODY CELL MASS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Author
item WALSMITH, JOSEPH - HNRCA
item SNYDMAN, LAURA - HNRCA, NEMC
item ROUBENOFF, RONENN - HNRCA

Submitted to: Arthritis and Rheumatism
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2001
Publication Date: 10/1/2001
Citation: WALSMITH, J., SNYDMAN, L., ROUBENOFF, R. TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-A (TNF) PRODUCTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH LESS BODY CELL MASS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rheumatoid cachexia (RC) is defined as the loss of body cell mass (BCM) that occurs in patients with RA. RC is known to compromise strength and functional capacity in RA, and is accompanied by increased resting metabolic rate (RMR), accelerated protein degradation, decreased physical activity (PA), and excess production of the catabolic cytokines TNF and interleukin-1b (IL-1). We examined the relationship between peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytokine production and BCM in 20 women with RA (age 47±14 y; BMI 25.3±4.5 kg/m2) and 20 age-, sex-, race-, and BMI- matched healthy controls [C]. RA patients were cachectic, with lower BCM (p<0.001) and lower PA (p<0.02). Stimulated TNF production was higher in RA than in C (p<0.05), and both stimulated and unstimulated TNF production were inversely associated with BCM in RA but not in C (r=-0.57, p=0.01; r=-0.51, p=0.03). This inverse association remained significant after adjusting for age, PA, protein intake, and prednisone dose. No such association was found for stimulated IL-1 production. However, unstimulated IL-1 production tended to be inversely associated with BCM in RA but not in C (r=-0.43, p=0.08). Although we have previously linked TNF and IL-1 production with increased RMR and accelerated protein degradation, these data are the first to demonstrate that TNF production has a measurable effect on body composition in RA. In addition, they indicate that RC persists despite steady progress in the management of the joint symptoms of RA.