INCREASED CIRCULATING HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR IN THE EARLY-STAGE OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

We measured serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in patients with acut e myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and other heart diseases. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, blood was collected at the time of admission. Serum HGF was elevated within 3 hours in 8 of 10 p atients (80%) with acute myocardial infarction after onset of chest pa in (9.4 +/- 3.2 ng/mL, mean +/- SEM, values in normal subjects <0.39 n g/mL). Mean value of serum HGF was 11.0 +/- 2.6 ng/mL (n = 11) in pati ents who admitted to the hospital between 6 and 9 hours and 13.1 +/- 5 .7 ng/mL between 12 and 24 hours after onset. Elevated HGF levels were significantly more frequent than those of creatine kinase within 3 ho urs, and elevated levels correlated well with those of serum creatine kinase at 6-9 hours after onset of acute myocardial infarction. No inc rease in serum HGF value was found in patients with angina pectoris or other heart diseases. Thus, measurement of HGF is a sensitive method for early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.