title: Changes in liver function parameters after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate changes in liver function parameters and risk factors 1 year after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects in this retrospective study comprised 45 patients with HCC who underwent RFA therapy (RFA alone, n = 25; transcatheter arterial embolization therapy before RFA, n = 20) and showed no recurrence of HCC 1 year after RFA. Serial changes in serum total bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time and Child-Pugh score (CPs) were evaluated before and after RFA. In addition, Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to clarify risk factors for aggravation of liver function after RFA therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum albumin levels showed a significant decrease from before (3.6 +/- 0.4 g/dL) to 12 months after RFA therapy (3.2 +/- 0.4 g/dL; P </= 0.05). CPs was significantly increased from before (6.4 +/- 1.4) to both 6 months (6.8 +/- 1.9; P </= 0.05) and 12 months after RFA (6.9 +/- 2.0; P </= 0.05). Based on stepwise multivariate analysis, CPs of 9 or more before RFA was selected as a significant risk factor for long-term aggravation of liver function after RFA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver function parameters, particularly serum albumin level, gradually and dominantly decreased in HCC patients with grade B and C according to the CPs classification over the course of 1 year after RFA therapy. A CPs of 9 or more represents a major risk factor for the aggravation of liver function after RFA therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidekatsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kakisaka
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasumi
authors.forename: Koujiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawara
authors.forename: Kanta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: Koryo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Ryujin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takikawa
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki