[Changes in arterial ketone body ratio after transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma-clinical and experimental studies].

Arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) were examined in 114 cases of hepato-biliary tract diseases. AKBR of the normal control was 1.47 +/- 0.38, while it remained less than 0.7 in liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), alcoholic liver diseases and malignant biliary tract obstruction. AKBR correlated well with serum albumin and cholinesterase. Thirty five cases of HCC were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), 20 cases with gelatin sponge and 15 cases without gelatin sponge. In cases with gelatin sponge AKBR decreased significantly immediately after TAE and recovered gradually during 24 hours. Without gelatin sponge AKBR decreased slightly and remained unchanged until 24 hours later. Concerning the prognosis after TAE, AKBR recovered well in cases with good prognosis, while in poor prognosis AKBR progressively decreased to below 0.3. In experimental TAE with gelatin sponge using rabbit VX2-induced liver tumor, AKBR decreased significantly. In fatal rabbit group after TAE, AKBR decreased progressively. Plasma endotoxin was also measured in TAE with experimental rabbit, AKBR and endotoxin showed reverse correlation. From these results it was suggested that the measurement of AKBR is very useful for the evaluation of efficacy and prognosis of TAE in primary liver cancer.