24693681
BACKGROUND	Previous studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress by mediating the excessive production of reactive oxygen species is involved in tissue damage and organ failure during and after surgery .
BACKGROUND	The impact of the preoperative immunonutrition including antioxidants on the postoperative course of patients undergoing hepatic surgery was investigated in this pilot study .
METHODS	Twenty-three living donor liver transplantation ( LDLT ) donors were randomly assigned to either an experimental ( AO ) group , received a commercial supplement enriched with antioxidant nutrients for each of the 5 days immediately prior to surgery while maintaining normal food intake , or a control ( CT ) group , administered no supplement .
METHODS	Antioxidative capacity was measured by spectrophotometry of patient serum using a free-radical analytical system .
RESULTS	The antioxidative capacity of 90.9 % patients in the AO group increased after immunonutrition .
RESULTS	Compared to the CT group , the AO group was found to have higher antioxidant capacity and transferrin levels ; lower WBC , lymphocyte , and neutrophil counts ; and briefer duration of postoperative fever during the postsurgical period .
RESULTS	No significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding the nutritional parameters ; liver functioning parameters ; immunological parameters ; intraoperative factors ; postoperative outcomes .
CONCLUSIONS	Preoperative immunonutrition including antioxidants might play a beneficial role in improving postsurgical immunological response but the modest biological advantage was not associated with any significant clinical outcome .

