Ex vivo assessment of the protective effect of curcumin and taurine against human hepatocarcinogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignant tumor all over the world. Although several treatments such as tumor resection and liver transplantation are used to treat HCC, there is no overall long-term survival benefit. Therefore, the need for therapy to prevent the recurrence of HCC is essential. Curcumin and taurine have been used to participate in cancer management such as HCC through activation of immune system. Mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) obtained from cirrhotic patients (n = 25), HCC patients (n = 25) and healthy volunteers (n = 25) were included in this study. Cell density and percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25+ of the MNLs treated with curcumin and taurine were performed in addition to IFN-γ level determined in their cultured media. The results revealed that there was a highly significant increase in MNLs’ density of cirrhotic patients treated with curcumin and taurine. Where in HCC patients there were high significant increases in MNLs treated with curcumin and/or taurine. IFN-γ level showed no significant increase in HCC, cirrhotic patients and controls. There were high significant increases in percentage of CD8+ of cirrhotic and HCC patients treated with curcumin and combination of curcumin and taurine. But, percentage of CD4+ showed a high significant decrease in cirrhotic and HCC patients due to treatment with curcumin and/or taurine, on the contrary there were high significant increases in controls. Furthermore, there were high significant increases in percentage of CD25+ of cirrhotic patients and healthy controls treated with curcumin and/or taurine, but HCC patients showed no significant increase in percentage of CD25+ in MNLs treated with curcumin and/or taurine.