Clinical Study

Effects of Oral L-Carnitine on Liver Functions after Transarterial Chemoembolization in Intermediate-Stage HCC Patients

Table 4

Effects of L-carnitine in BCAA− patients.

Parameter (mean ± SD) PretreatmentAfter TACE
1 week4 weeks12 weeks

Control group ()CP score5.79 ± 0.976 ± 0.915.86 ± 0.866.17 ± 1.46
S. albumin (g/dL)3.42 ± 0.63.06 ± 0.593.32 ± 0.663.37 ± 0.6
PT (%)90.8 ± 17.388.3 ± 15.188 ± 17.990.4 ± 16.9
T. bilirubin (mg/dL)0.78 ± 0.291.06 ± 0.490.89 ± 0.481.05 ± 0.74
ALT (IU/L)40.3 ± 3555.9 ± 3535.1 ± 2236.9 ± 24
AST (IU/L)60.9 ± 4855.3 ± 3559.7 ± 3867.3 ± 58
GGTP (IU/L)54.2 ± 3066.3 ± 3572.6 ± 3574.5 ± 98
Ascitis (no/moderate/massive)13/1/012/2/013/1/011/1/2
Encephalopathy (no/yes)14/014/014/014/0

L-carnitine group ()CP score5.63 ± 0.915.75 ± 0.75.5 ± 0.535.88 ± 0.83
S. albumin (g/dL)3.38 ± 0.473.22 ± 0.523.5 ± 0.543.45 ± 0.48
PT (%)85.6 ± 17.789.7 ± 24.391.8 ± 14.889.2 ± 20.6
T. bilirubin (mg/dL)1.05 ± 0.480.87 ± 0.420.9 ± 0.340.97 ± 0.24
ALT (IU/L)33.5 ± 26.139.8 ± 25.743 ± 34.130 ± 12.3
AST (IU/L)51.1 ± 28.748.1 ± 34.661.1 ± 41.942.1 ± 10.4
GGPT (IU/L)88.1 ± 121128.6 ± 204150.1 ± 25464.3 ± 53
Ascitis (no/moderate/massive)7/1/08/0/08/0/08/0/0
Encephalopathy (no/yes)8/08/08/08/0

SD: standard deviation; CP: Child-Pugh; S. albumin: serum albumin; PT: prothrombin time; T. bilirubin: total bilirubin; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; GGTP: gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; TACE: transarterial chemoembolization.
Significant difference compared with baseline value; significant difference compared with 1 week after TACE; ; ; .