Changes of Th1/Th2 cytokines in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma after ultrasound-guided ablation

Liver cancer is a malignancy of the digestive system and has a high morbidity and mortality rate. Local intervention has become a viable option in identifying liver treatment. The aim of the present study was to analyze the changes of Th1/Th2 cytokines in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment. 26 patients with stage III-IV liver cancers and 25 healthy controls were selected to participate in the study. HCC patients were initiated with RFA treatment and the serum levels of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and Th1/Th2 cytokines were valued. We found that with the level of AFP decreased, the levels of Th1 cytokines including interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were significantly increased after treatment with RFA (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the levels of Th2 cytokines consist of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6 and IL-10 were decreased markedly on the contrary, and the differences were statistically significant (P< 0.05). In conclusion, the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines were correlated with the change of AFP in patients of HCC after treatment with RFA, which might be an important guiding significance for the prognosis of HCC.