HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR SCATTER FACTOR IS PRESENT IN MOST PLEURAL EFFUSION FLUIDS FROM CANCER-PATIENTS

Pleural effusion samples were obtained from 55 patients with malignant disease, including patients with primary lung cancers and those with a variety of other tumours metastatic to the pleura. The effusions wer e assayed for the presence of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter Factor (HGF/SF), by both ELISA and bioassay. The presence of malignant cells in the effusions was also assessed. Detectable amounts of the factor, as judged by both criteria, were found in over 90% of all the effusion s, including those from patients with a wide variety of carcinomas and also lymphomas. A wide range of HGF/SF levels were found for all tumo ur classes, some effusions containing high levels above 4 ng ml(-1). I t is concluded that rumours within the pleura and adjacent lung tissue are usually exposed to biologically significant levels of HGF/SF.