Biomaterial Database

Serum tumour necrosis factor alpha and insulin resistance in gastrointestinal cancer. 1992

J L McCall, and J A Tuckey, and B R Parry

Department of Surgery, Otago University Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Cancer cachexia may be mediated by endogenous peptides such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Insulin resistance occurs in these patients, and is also seen experimentally with TNF-alpha administration. In this study, insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism were measured in 11 patients with gastrointestinal cancer and ten controls, using the euglycaemic glucose clamp and indirect calorimetry. Patients with cancer were significantly more insulin resistant than controls (P < 0.01) and in such patients insulin resistance correlated with serum TNF-alpha level (rs = 0.74, P < 0.01). Fasting insulin levels also correlated inversely with insulin sensitivity (rs = -0.62, P = 0.003). These results suggest a possible association between endogenous TNF-alpha production and insulin resistance in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007328	Insulin	A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1).	Iletin,Insulin A Chain,Insulin B Chain,Insulin, Regular,Novolin,Sodium Insulin,Soluble Insulin,Chain, Insulin B,Insulin, Sodium,Insulin, Soluble,Regular Insulin
D007333	Insulin Resistance	Diminished effectiveness of INSULIN in lowering blood sugar levels: requiring the use of 200 units or more of insulin per day to prevent HYPERGLYCEMIA or KETOSIS.	Insulin Sensitivity,Resistance, Insulin,Sensitivity, Insulin
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001786	Blood Glucose	Glucose in blood.	Blood Sugar,Glucose, Blood,Sugar, Blood
D004734	Energy Metabolism	The chemical reactions involved in the production and utilization of various forms of energy in cells.	Bioenergetics,Energy Expenditure,Bioenergetic,Energy Expenditures,Energy Metabolisms,Expenditure, Energy,Expenditures, Energy,Metabolism, Energy,Metabolisms, Energy
D005260	Female		Females
D005770	Gastrointestinal Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, from the MOUTH to the ANAL CANAL.	Gastrointestinal Cancer,Cancer of Gastrointestinal Tract,Cancer of the Gastrointestinal Tract,Neoplasms, Gastrointestinal,Cancer, Gastrointestinal,Cancers, Gastrointestinal,Gastrointestinal Cancers,Gastrointestinal Neoplasm,Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer,Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers,Neoplasm, Gastrointestinal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly