Influence of lactulose on interventional therapy for HCC patients with hepatocirrhosis and hypersplenism.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of lactulose on immunity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with hepatocirrhosis and hypersplenism after double-interventional therapies. METHODS: A total of 40 HCC patients with hepatocirrhosis and hypersplenism, hospitalized during January 2013 to June 2014, were enrolled and randomized into control group and observation group. Both groups received partial splenic embolization combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Besides, observation group orally took lactulose 30 mL/d. Four days before interventional therapies and at days 1, 3, 7 and 14 after therapies, fasting venous blood was collected to detect white blood cell count, red blood cell count (RBC), and platelet count (PLT). Four days before therapies and at days 7 and 14 after therapies, the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, total bilirubin, malondialdehyde, super-oxide dismutase (SOD), IFN-γ, and IL-4 as well as the distribution of T cell subsets in peripheral blood were tested. Complications were observed after interventional therapies. RESULTS: Before interventional therapies the levels of white blood cell count, PLT and RBC in both groups showed no difference, while after interventional therapies the levels of PLT and RBC in both groups showed an increasing tendency (P < 0.05). At day 14 after interventional therapies, the level of blood cell as well as that of SOD, IFN-γ and IL-4 in serum were significantly higher than that before therapies; meanwhile, the levels of alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin of observation group after therapies were significantly lower than before and control group (P < 0.05), the levels of CD4(+)/CD8(+), SOD and IFN-γ were all higher than before and control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of lactulose could adjust the imbalance of oxidation system/antioxidant system in HCC patients with hepatocirrhosis and hypersplenism after interventional therapies, and improve the antitumor immunity and prognosis.