Increased concentrations of tumour necrosis factor in "cachectic" patients with severe chronic heart failure

To ascertain whether patients with cardiac failure and reduced body weight ("cardiac cachexia") have increased circulating concentrations of tumour necrosis factor (cachectin).

Patients with cardiac failure were prospectively identified as "cachectic" (body fat less than 27% in men and less than 29% in women measured by skinfold thickness callipers) or "non-cachectic". Tumour necrosis factor was assayed blind to patient group.

Cardiology unit in a tertiary referral centre.

26 consecutive patients (10 women) (mean age 61) admitted for investigation or treatment of chronic heart failure. All were in New York Heart Association class III or IV.

In nine of the 16 cachectic patients the concentration of tumour necrosis factor was increased (mean (SEM) 74 (20) pg/ml) compared with one of the 10 "non-cachectic" patients (22 pg/ml, p less than 0.001). Patients with a raised circulating concentration of tumour necrosis factor weighed significantly less (55.6 (3.5) kg) than those in whom the concentration of tumour necrosis factor was normal (69.0 (4.1) kg) (p = 0.02).

Circulating concentrations of tumour necrosis factor were increased in a significant proportion of patients with chronic heart failure and low body weight. Tumour necrosis factor stimulates catabolism experimentally and it may be a factor in the weight loss seen in patients with "cardiac cachexia".