title: Gastric cancer does not affect the expression of atrophy-related genes in human skeletal muscle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the gene expression levels of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha in skeletal muscle samples of patients with gastric cancer and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 38 cancer patients and 12 controls who underwent surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma and benign abdominal diseases, respectively. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the rectus abdominis muscle from all participants. The relative gene expression of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA expression was similar between cancer patients and controls and was unaffected by the disease stage or the severity of body weight loss. Transcript levels of myostatin and follistatin did not differ between cases and controls and were similar across disease stages and categories of weight loss. Finally, no differences were detected in activin A and inhibin alpha gene expression between cancer patients and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In skeletal muscle, the gene expression of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha is not affected by the presence of cancer. The expression of atrophy-related genes is unaffected by the disease stage and the degree of weight loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Milano-Bicocca University, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Orlando
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marzetti
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzi
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: di Stasio
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.forename: Giovan Battista
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Doglietto
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bossola
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; C440907:FBXO32 protein, human; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases; C440908:TRIM63 protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
keywords: MuRF1; atrogin-1; cancer cachexia; follistatin; muscle wasting; myostatin