Effects of oral nutrition support on nutritional status, immune function and radiation damage in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy

Objective:To study the effects of oral nutrition support on nutritional status, immune function and radiation damage in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy.Methods:Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received radiotherapy in West China Hospital between and November January 2017 were selected and randomly divided into the nutrition support group who received oral nutrition support and the normal control group who received routine intervention. The levels of nutrition indicators and radiation damage indicators in serum as well as the contents of immune cells in peripheral blood were determined before radiotherapy and 1 week after end of radiotherapy.Results: Compared with those before radiotherapy, serum ALB, PA, TWEAK, Leptin and Ghrelin levels as well as peripheral blood CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3-CD19+ and CD3-CD56+ immune cell contents of nutrition support group didn't change significantly whereas serum TGF-β1, IL-6, IL-17 and MMP9 levels increased significantly 1 week after end of radiotherapy;serum ALB and PA levels as well as peripheral blood CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3-CD19+ and CD3-CD56+ immune cell contents of normal control group decreased significantly whereas TWEAK, Leptin, Ghrelin, TGF-β1, IL-6, IL-17 and MMP9 levels increased significantly 1 week after end of radiotherapy.Conclusion:Oral nutrition support can avoid the damage of nutritional status and immune function and reduce the radiation damage in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy.