Effects of Different Anesthetic Methods on Cellular Immune and Neuroendocrine Functions in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Before and After Surgery

Abstract

Background: Many anesthesia methods have been studies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the effects of combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and combined general and epidural anesthesia on cellular immune function and neuroendocrine function in patients with HCC before and after surgery. Methods: Between September 2012 and April 2014, 72 patients who underwent a hepatectomy in our hospital were enrolled. Results: Compared with the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia group, the combined general and epidural anesthesia group demonstrated increased CD4+/CD8+ T cells 0 hr after surgery, increased CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ cells, and IFN-γ levels 12 hr after surgery, and increased CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ cells 24 hr after surgery (all P < 0.05). At 72 hr after surgery, the levels of ACTH and Cor in the combined general and epidural anesthesia group, and the levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ cells, and IFN-γ in both the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and the combined general and epidural anesthesia groups decreased to pre-surgery levels. Significant differences were observed in the comparisons of CD3+, IL-6, and IL-10 between the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and the combined general and epidural anesthesia groups 72 hr after surgery (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results revealed that combined general and epidural anesthesia plays a crucial role in hepatectomy via the mitigation of the inhibition of immunologic function in HCC patients during the perioperative period. Combined general and epidural anesthesia also hastens the recovery of immunologic suppression after surgery, which can provide a certain reference for the selection of clinical anesthesia in the treatment of HCC.