Hepatitis B reactivation in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatic resection vs radiofrequency ablation

Abstract

Objective To study hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and related risk factors for ≤5 cm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or hepatic resection. Methods From Sep 2006 to Jan 2013, 193 patients received hepatectomy and 146 patients received RFA. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors.Stratified χ2 test for HBV reactivation, Unpaired student′s t-test for CD4+ , CD8+ , CD4+ /CD8+ and NK cell proportions. Results (1) Antiviral therapy, Child-Pugh grade, vascular invasion and treatment modality were significant risk factors of HBV reactivation (P<0.05). (2) HBV reactivation was lower in patients receiving antiviral therapy than those who did not (16/181 vs. 25/158, χ2=3.869, P=0.049), the reactivation in hepatectomy group was higher than RFA group in those not using antiviral therapy (20/92 vs. 5/66, χ2=5.788, P=0.016), but the difference was not significant in the antiviral therapy patients (10/101 vs. 6/80, χ2=0.319, P=0.572). (3)CD3+ , CD4+ , CD4+ /CD8+ and NK cell proportions after 7 days treatment decreased in different degree for both hepatic resection and RFA group with or without antiviral therapy (P<0.05). For patients who did not received antiviral therapy, the proportions of RFA after 7 days treatment were higher than the hepatic resection group (P<0.05). Conclusions Compared with ≤5 cm carcinoma treated by RFA, hepatic resection decreased the proportions of immune cells, preoperative antiviral therapy relieves immune suppression, decreases the incidence of HBV reactivation. Key words: Carcinoma, hepatocellular; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatectomy; Radiofrequency ablation