Nutritional Status in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Associated with Liver Cirrhosis

• Published in: Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition 1989-11, Vol.7 (3), p.251
• Main Authors: INADA, Yoshiaki, YAMAMURA, Manabu, KWON, Masanori, UETSUJI, Shoji, YAMADA, Takeo, YAMAMOTO, Masakatsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0912-0009; 1880-5086

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently also suffer from chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis (LC). Preoperative nutritional assessment was made of HCC patients with or without LC and of patients with esophageal varices or cholelithiasis as controls. The patients with HCC and esophageal varices associated with LC were malnourished and were especially lacking in protein and other nutrients. The blood molar ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids was low in LC patients. The effects of post-operative parenteral nutrition with a BCAA-enriched amino acid solution on the plasma amino acid profile and on protein renewal were evaluated in HCC patients with LC. Although the ratio was unchanged after intravenous hyperalimentation with a 21% BCAA-enriched solution, it rose in the group receiving a 31% BCAA-enriched solution. This group showed a rise in BCAA and a fall in aromatic amino acids in the plasma. Moreover, following hepatectomy, the serum level of prealbumin, a rapid turnover protein, improved significantly after intravenous hyperalimentation with the 31% BCAA-enriched solution. These results suggest that nutritional support with BCAA is a useful measure for the post-operative management of HCC patients with LC.