Brown Adipose Tissue Activity and Energy Metabolism in Cachexia

This is a prospective, cross-sectional study to determine BAT activity in cachectic patients with pancreatic or non-small cell lung cancer, and in cachectic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and compare results with healthy individuals and non-cachectic COPD patients, matched for age and BMI.

Inclusion criteria

• Pancreatic cancer patients, or NSCLC cancer patients, or COPD patients
• The diagnostic criterion for cachexia is unintentional weight loss more than 5% over the past 6 months or more than 2% in individuals with a body-mass index < 20 kg/m2 and muscle wasting assessed by DXA;
• Age ≥ 30 years;
• Gender: male and female;
• Caucasians.

Exclusion criteria

• Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus;
• Patients with severe clotting disorder;
• Patients with an active second malignancy;
• Psychological unstable persons presumed unfit to perform the measurements, including claustrophobia;
• Persons unable to lie or sit still for 1-2 hours;
• Oxygen therapy;
• Pregnant subjects;Subjects unable to undergo MRI (e.g. pacemaker; neurostimulator; implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or leads; Foley bladder catheter; medication pump; cochlear or hearing implant; tattoos or other items that cannot be removed and include metal parts (for instance from operations in the past); metal splinter in the eye; vascular clips; denture, which contains magnets);
• Subjects that received high doses of radiotherapeutic radiation of the neck and/or upper chest in their medical history;
• Persons that received cervical or thoracic sympathectomy or have a nerve dysfunction which is likely to influence sympathetic nerves;
• The use of medication that influences the sympathetic nerve system: ß-blockers, α-blockers, central anti-hypertensives, certain anti-depression drugs (MAO inhibitors, tricyclic anti-depressives), reserpine, cocaine, calciumblockers, labetalol, and certain tranquillizers (fenothiazines).