Changes of serum immuno-cellular factors in patients of hepatocarcinoma treated with the therapy of Yiqi Huoxue Ruanjian Jiedu decoction

[Objective] To observe the changes of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in patients of hepatocarcinoma treated with the therapy of Yiqi Huoxue Ruanjian Jiedu decoction (YHRJD).[Methods] All cases were divided into five groups: pre-treatment group, Chinese herb group, intervention chemotherapy group, Chinese herb plus intervention chemotherapy group, normal control group. AFP, TNF-α and IL-18 were tested by ELISA method.[Results] Compared with pre-treatment group, all treatment groups lowered the level of AFP, and the effect of Chinese herb plus intervention chemotherapy group was most obvious. Serum level of TNF-α in hepatocarcinoma patients was higher than that on normal control group, and in Chinese herb group and intervention chemotherapy group it was increased compared with pre-treatment group with no statistic significance, and compared with pre-treatment group the serum level of TNF-α in Chinese herb plus intervention chemotherapy group was decreased. Serum IL-18 level in pre-treatment group was higher than normal control group, and that in intervention chemotherapy group was higher than pre-treatment group. Though Chinese herb could not increase the level of IL-18, it decreased the higher level of IL-18 of hepatocarcinoma patients. Compared with normal control group, there was no statistic difference in IL-18 level of Chinese herb group and Chinese herb plus intervention chemotherapy group (P0.05).[Conclusion]YHRJ therapy could decrease the serum AFP level, and regulate the abnormal level of TNF-α and IL-18 in hepatocarcinoma patients.