The protective effects of ulinastatin on liver function in patients with liver cancer after major hepatectomy

Objective To investigate the effects of ulinastatin on liver function in patients with liver cancer after major hepatectomy. Methods The clinical data of 232 patients with major liver resection due to liver cancer were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether ulinastatin was applied after operation, patients were divided into treatment group (105 cases) and control group (127 cases). The postoperative inflammatory factors, liver function, postoperative complications and hospital stay were compared. Results The levels of CRP、IL-6 and TBIL、ALT、AST were significantly lower than the control group 3 days after surgery (CRP: t=4.520, P=0.000; IL-6: t=17.982, P=0.000; TBIL: t=9.843, P=0.000; ALT: t=11.913, P=0.000; AST: t=4.520, P=0.000). The incidence of massive ascites in the treatment group (χ2=4.212, P=0.040) and the average postoperative hospital stay (t=9.994, P=0.000) were significantly lower than that in the control group. Conclusion Early application of ulinastatin effectively inhibits the inflammatory process, protects liver function, reduces the incidence of massive ascites, and shortens the postoperative hospital stay. Key words: Hepatectomy; Inflammation; Liver function tests