HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR AND DIGITAL CLUBBING

The cause of digital clubbing is unknown. Hepatocyte growth factor (HG F) is a pleotrophic factor which has various biological effects. We me asured serum HGF in 12 patients with digital clubbing; the underlying diseases of these patients were: lung cancer, 2; cystic fibrosis, 2; i diopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 3; lung cancer with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 1; chronic hepatitis, 1; interstitial pneumonia with collag en disease, 2; and bronchiectasis, 1; nine hundred and fifty-seven nor mal volunteers and 17 lung cancer patients without clubbing served as the control, As a result, the serum HGF concentration in patients with digital clubbing (0.47+/-0.29 ng/ml) was significantly higher when co mpared to that of lung cancer patients without digital clubbing (0.15/-0.04, p<0.01). Therefore, we suggest that HGF may play a role in the formation of digital clubbing.