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Xuebijing injection alleviates liver injury in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting inflammatory response after transarterial chemoembolization


Chen Zhong
Feng Cheng

Abstract

Purpose: To study the influence of Xuebijing (XBJ) injection on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action.


Methods: Thirty-nine HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed. They were assigned to 3 groups: negative group which received no XBJ injection, low-dose XBJ group given XBJ injection (50 ml), and high-dose XBJ group given 100 mL of XBJ injection. Peripheral blood was separately collected and
analyzed on the first day after admission and TACE.


Results: TACE led to liver damage in HCC patients, with increased serum activities of ALT and AST, and total bilirubin (tBLB). Moreover, TACE elevated white blood cells, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and expression levels of inflammation cytokines. In the groups treated with XBJ injection,
there were dose-dependent mitigation of liver dysfunction, and reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines, when compared with the negative group. However, XBJ injection did not affect myelosuppression or regulatory T cells.


Conclusion: XBJ dose-dependently decreases liver injury in HCC patients after TACE by suppressing inflammatory response. Thus, XBJ may exert hepatoprotective effect on HCC after TACE in humans in clinical practice.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996