Local pain and tenderness at the site of injection were found in all studied patients. The pain was tolerable in 29 patients but 13 patients suffered severe distressing pain and were treated by small dose paracetamol (500 mg/day) or tramadol (50 mg/day). Reassurance in these patients, make them continue the treatment and the pain gradually abates with repeated administration. Fourteen patients suffered from drug related fever that was controlled
by cold fomentations and if fever still present (n = 2), small dose of paracetamol (500 mg) was recommended. Other toxicities were mild in the form of bone aches, anorexia and nausea; all were controlled by supportive treatment. The changes in expression of GAGs have diagnostic and prognostic values in several cancers and may increasingly become valuable in planning of targeted
cancer therapies.6 Dermatan sulfate (DS) in the extracellular selleck chemical matrix (ECM) has been considered as an architectural support for tumor cells.17 As shown in Table 3, a significant increase in serum levels selleck chemicals of DS was found in patients with HCC compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Similar findings were reported in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma by Thelin et al. 18 Heparan sulfate (HS) is an important ECM component that can influence the cell behavior, tissue repair, inflammation, tumor growth and metastasis.19 As shown in Table 3, a significant increase in the serum levels of HS in patients with HCC was observed as compared with the control and cirrhotic groups (P < 0.05). Recent discoveries found that enzymes that altering PGs structure resulting in dramatic effects on tumor growth and metastasis Bay 11-7085 and could attack HS localized within the tumor microenvironment. 20 Biochemical alteration of sialic acid in various liver diseases has been studied from time to time.21 However, total and glycosides sialic acid in patients with HCC did not differ significantly compared with cirrhotic or control groups in the current research study (Table 3) but also the free
sialic acid showed a significant increase in patients with HCC compared with the cirrhotic and control groups (P < 0.05). These findings are in agreement with that reported by Kongtawelert et al who showed that total sialic acid did not change significantly between HCC and control groups 22 and with that studied by GONG Zu-yuan who reported that both of α-2, 3, and 2,6- sialic acids increases significantly on the hepatocyte membrane after the carcinomatous change. 23 Serum levels of glucuronic acid and glucosamine were also analyzed because no previous study measured them in patients with HCC. A significant increase in serum levels of both components was found in patients with HCC compared with control and cirrhotic groups (P < 0.05). Because of enzymes are considered as one of the first protein molecules used as cancer biomarkers, we analyzed also serum levels of β-glucuronidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase enzymes.