Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2012; 18(12): 1379-1384
Published online Mar 28, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i12.1379
Branched-chain amino acid treatment before transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma
Hiroki Nishikawa, Yukio Osaki, Tadashi Inuzuka, Haruhiko Takeda, Jun Nakajima, Fumihiro Matsuda, Shinichiro Henmi, Azusa Sakamoto, Tetsuro Ishikawa, Sumio Saito, Ryuichi Kita, Toru Kimura
Hiroki Nishikawa, Yukio Osaki, Tadashi Inuzuka, Haruhiko Takeda, Jun Nakajima, Fumihiro Matsuda, Shinichiro Henmi, Azusa Sakamoto, Tetsuro Ishikawa, Sumio Saito, Ryuichi Kita, Toru Kimura, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, Osaka 543-0027, Japan
Author contributions: Osaki Y participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis, and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Hiroki Nishikawa, MD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital 5-30, Fudegasaki-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0027, Japan. h-nishikawa@osaka-med.jrc.or.jp
Telephone: +81-6-67745111 Fax: +81-6-67745131
Received: July 5, 2011
Revised: September 26, 2011
Accepted: December 31, 2011
Published online: March 28, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To examine the significance of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) treatment before transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: This study included 99 patients who underwent TACE therapy for HCC at our hospital and were followed up without treatment for at least 6 mo between January 2004 and January 2010. They were divided into 2 groups: those receiving BCAA granules (n = 40) or regular diet (n = 59, control). Data obtained were retrospectively analyzed (prior to TACE, and 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo after TACE) in terms of nutritional condition and clinical laboratory parameters (serum albumin level and Child-Pugh score), both of which are determinants of hepatic functional reserve.

RESULTS: The BCAA group comprised 27 males and 13 females with a mean age of 69.9 ± 8.8 years. The patients of the BCAA group were classified as follows: Child-Pugh A/B/C in 22/15/3 patients, and Stage II/III/IVA HCC in 12/23/5 patients, respectively. The control group comprised 32 males and 27 females with a mean age of 73.2 ± 10.1 years. In the control group, 9 patients had chronic hepatitis, Child-Pugh A/B/C in 39/10/1 patients, and StageI/II/III/IVA HCC in 1/11/35/12 patients, respectively. Overall, both serum albumin level and Child-Pugh score improved significantly in the BCAA group as compared with the control 3 and 6 mo after TACE (P < 0.05). Further analysis was performed by the following categorization: (1) child-Pugh classification; (2) liver cirrhosis subgroup with a serum albumin level > 3.5 g/dL; and (3) epirubicin dose. A similar trend indicating a significant improvement of all variables in the BCAA group was noted (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Treatment with BCAA granules in patients who have undergone TACE for HCC is considered useful to maintain their hepatic functional reserve.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Branched-chain amino acid granules; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; Liver function; Improvement; Cirrhosis; Protein-energy malnutrition