Clinical Study

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

Table 2

Effects of L-carnitine in overall study patients.

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

Control group ()CP score5.88 ± 0.996.24 ± 1.056.04 ± 1.076.39 ± 1.55
S. albumin (g/dL)3.35 ± 0.562.94 ± 0.573.29 ± 0.583.21 ± 0.63
PT (%)89.2 ± 1785.9 ± 16.988.2 ± 17.7 87.1 ± 18.2
T. bilirubin (mg/dL)0.93 ± 0.461.13 ± 0.510.96 ± 0.551.21 ± 0.7
ALT (IU/L)41.8 ± 28.856.2 ± 3138.7 ± 21.137.6 ± 18.8
AST (IU/L)57 ± 37.850.8 ± 26.555.3 ± 31.660.3 ± 44.3
GGTP (IU/L)66.3 ± 67.384.5 ± 100.391.8 ± 84.759.9 ± 74.7
Ascitis (no/moderate/massive)21/5/020/5/119/5/217/5/4
Encephalopathy (no/yes)26/026/026/026/0

L-carnitine group ()CP score6.04 ± 1.046.17 ± 0.865.75 ± 0.735.91 ± 0.92
S. albumin (g/dL)3.22 ± 0.573.05 ± 0.463.33 ± 0.53.26 ± 0.49
PT (%)86.7 ± 19.491.5 ± 18.493.3 ± 16.890.7 ± 16.4
T. bilirubin (mg/dL)1.02 ± 0.570.97 ± 0.550.93 ± 0.461.05 ± 0.63
ALT (IU/L)32.6 ± 17.641.7 ± 23.134.7 ± 20.833.9 ± 11.6
AST (IU/L)51.5 ± 25.950.2 ± 32.154.5 ± 2849.4 ± 15.6
GGTP (IU/L)70.7 ± 80.991.4 ± 124.497.1 ± 148.661.8 ± 43.4
Ascitis (no/moderate/massive)21/3/022/2/024/0/023/0/1
Encephalopathy (no/yes)24/024/024/024/0

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.
Significant difference compared with baseline; significant difference compared with 1 week after TACE; significant difference compared with 4 weeks after TACE; ; ; .