Molecular subtypes of human skeletal muscle in cancer cachexia
Cachexia is a grave indicator of near death for women with ovarian cancer. It is defined as a weight loss of more than 10% or a BMI of less than 20 in patients with ovarian cancer.
Why some patients become cachexic has been a mystery, the weight loss is predominately due to decrease of muscle bulk with associated weakness and impaired mobility.
This prospective study involved next-generation genetic sequencing, using muscle biopsy tissue, obtained from 84 patients with cancer, at the time of their initial surgery. The whole muscle RNA signature (RNAome) showed two distinct subtypes. Only subtype I patients progressed to cachexia with an inflammatory reaction causing muscle wasting.
This breakthrough in understanding suggests it may be possible to predict cachexia and employ treatment to prevent it. Also, the difference in the RNAome between the two groups may suggest a metabolic pathway of disease.
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