Journal of Inflammation Research (Aug 2022)
Skeletal Myosteatosis is Associated with Systemic Inflammation and a Loss of Muscle Bioenergetics in Stable COPD
Abstract
Hans Lennart Persson,1,2,* Apostolos Sioutas,1,2,* Magnus Kentson,1,3 Petra Jacobson,1,2 Peter Lundberg,1,4,5 Olof Dahlqvist Leinhard,1,5,6 Mikael Fredrik Forsgren1,5,6 1Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine in Linköping, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 3Department of Pulmonology, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden; 4Department of Radiation Physics in Linköping, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 5Centre for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 6AMRA Medical AB, Linköping, Sweden*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hans Lennart Persson; Apostolos Sioutas, Department of Respiratory Medicine in Linköping, Linköping University, Linköping, SE-581 85, Sweden, Tel +46 0 13 1033621, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Common features among patients with more advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are systemic inflammation and a loss of both muscle mass and normal muscle composition. In the present study, we investigated COPD subjects to better understand how thigh muscle fat infiltration (MFI) and energy metabolism relate to each other and to clinical features of COPD with emphasis on systemic inflammation.Methods: Thirty-two Caucasians with stable COPD were investigated using questionnaires, lung function tests, blood analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for analysis of body- and thigh muscle composition. Bioenergetics in the resting thigh muscle, expressed as the PCr/Pi ratio, were analysed using 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS).Results: Based on the combination of the MFI adjusted for sex (MFIa) and the thigh fat-tissue free muscle volume, expressed as the deviation from the expected muscle volume of a matched virtual control group (FFMVvcg), all COPD subjects displayed abnormally composed thigh muscles. Clinical features of increased COPD severity, including a decrease of blood oxygenation (r = − 0.44, p < 0.05) and FEV1/FVC ratio, reflecting airway obstruction (r = − 0.53, p < 0.01) and an increase of COPD symptoms (r = 0.37, p < 0.05) and breathing frequency at rest (r = 0.41, p < 0.05), were all associated with a raise of the PCr/Pi ratio in the thigh muscle. Increased MFIa of the thigh muscle correlated positively with markers of systemic inflammation (white blood cell count, r = 0.41, p < 0.05; fibrinogen, r = 0.44, p < 0.05), and negatively with weekly physical activity (r = − 0.40, p < 0.05) and the PCr/Pi ratio in the resting thigh muscle (r = − 0.41, p < 0.05).Conclusion: The present study implies a link between systemic inflammation, excessive MFI and a loss of bioenergetics in subjects with stable COPD.Keywords: adiposity, body composition, muscle fat infiltration, magnetic resonance imaging, 31P-MRS, biomarkers
