OBJECTIVETo study the changes of immune function in patients with liver cancer after transcatheter arterial chemoembolizaton (TACE) combined with interstitial therapy.

METHODSForty patients with liver cancer were randomly divided into groups A and B to received TACE and TACE combined with percutaneous lipiodol and anti-cancer agent injection into the tumor. The T lymphocyte cell subsets in the peripheral blood before and one week after the operation were measured by flow cytometry, and the immunoglobulin contents determined by single radial immunodiffusion.

RESULTSCD3, CD4, and CD4/8 levels increased significantly after the operation in both groups A and B (P<0.05). The postoperative CD3 and CD4 levels, but not that of CD8, differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). The operations also resulted in an increase in the contents of the immunoglobulins and complements in the two groups, but the changes were not significant in group A (P>0.05); in group B, significant increases occurred in the immunoglobulin and complement levels (P<0.05) with the exception of C3.

CONCLUSIONThe combination of TACE and interstitial therapy with percutaneous intratumor injections of lipiodol and anti-cancer agents may better improve the cell-mediated immunity and humoral immune function of liver cancer patients.