title: Cytokine-induced killer cell infusion combined with conventional treatments produced better prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with barcelona clinic liver cancer B or earlier stage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: To investigate the clinical benefits of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell infusions on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, combined with other conventional treatments.
  
  
  
  This was a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted among phase II and III randomized control trials worldwide. Review manager 5.2 version was used to pool the effect size across studies. Sensitivity analyses and risk of bias were estimated among included studies. Egger's test was used to characterize the publication bias.
  
  
  
  Eight randomized controlled trials and 945 patients with HCC were included in the study. CIK infusion reduced cancer recurrence risk to 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5-0.92), I275% (P <0.001), and reduced cancer death risk to 0.76 (95% CI 0.65-0.88), I250% (P = 0.09). Among studies blinded for outcome assessment and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages of 0, A and B, CIK infusion reduced recurrence risk by 18% (relative risk [RR] = 0.82, 95% CI 0.70-0.96) and death risk by 37% (RR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.85); heterogeneity was 0% and 39%, respectively (P > 0.05). The intercepts of linear regressions for recurrence and death were -2.17 and -2.07, respectively, but the P value was 0.17 and 0.38; no significant publication bias was observed with Egger's test.
  
  
  
  Among hepatocellular carcinoma patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer score of B or less, CIK cell infusions combined with conventional treatments significantly prolonged recurrence-free and overall survival. This adoptive immunotherapy could be recommended to HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Xu
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: songqingkun@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Qing-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wrbletter@126.com.
authors.forename: Rui-Bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: cytokine-induced killer cells; hepatocellular carcinoma; prognosis; randomized controlled trial; systematic review and meta-analysis