Liver function and energy metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma developed in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis

Energy metabolism in patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accompanying by hepatitis B cirrhosis is unknown. To compare the differences in liver functions and energy metabolism between patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and patients with HCC. This was a retrospective study of patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis (LC group, n=75) and patients with HCC accompanying by hepatitis B cirrhosis (HCC group, n=80) treated in Beijing You'an Hospital between January 2013 and June 2017. The resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), carbohydrate oxidation rate (CHO%), fat oxidation rate (FAT%), and protein oxidation rate (PRO%) were measured using a metabolic cart. Liver function, renal function, blood coagulation, etc. were collected. Compared to the LC group, patients with HCC had normal metabolism, but RQ (0.83 +/- 0.07 vs 0.85 +/- 0.08, P=.073) and CHO% (35.5% vs 49%, P=.013) were lower and FAT% was higher (41% vs 33%, P=.030). Compared with patients with LC group, albumin (ALB), gamma-glutamyltranspeptadase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and prothrombin time activity (PTA) were elevated in the HCC group, while total bilirubin (TB), total bile acid (TBA), and international normalized ratio (INR) were reduced (P<.05). Cholinesterase (CHE) was positively correlated with RQ, CHO, and CHO% (P<.05), while negatively correlated with FAT and FAT% (P<.05). AKP was negatively correlated with RQ, CHO, and CHO% (P<.05), while positively correlated with FAT and FAT% (P<.05). TBA was negatively correlated with RQ and CHO (P<.05), while positively correlated with FAT (P<.05). HCC leads to increased liver synthetic function and improve the liver functions of patients with LC, at least to some extent, but the nutritional metabolism was poor.