T-lymphocytes subpopulation before and after surgical removal of hepatocellular carcinoma

This study included 16 histologically confirmed hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. At the same time, 32 normal healthy individuals and 20 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers were served as control groups. The study disclosed that T cells, OKT4 cells and the ratio of OKT4 cells/OKT8 cells in peripheral venous blood of HCC patients before surgery were lower than that of either normal control or asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. The difference was statistically significant. The T cells, OKT4 cells and the ratio of OKT4 cells/OKT8 cells of 4 HCC patients with positive HBeAg did not show further decrease as compared with that of 12 HCC patients with negative HBeAg. Periodic examination of T cells, OKT4 cells and OKT8 cells in 16 HCC patients after surgical removal of hepatocellular carcinoma tumor revealed that preoperative depressed T cells will decline further in the first postoperative week, but it will gradually increase to near normal range in the fourth or fifth postoperative week. However, OKT4 cells still remained in depressed state during the postoperative observation period. In the conclusion, it has been suggested that the derangement of T-cell subsets observed in HCC patients is not related to either HBsAg or even HBeAg. It can be either precondition to HCC formation or further follow up period being needed to look for the change of OKT4 cells.