LEVELS OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR SCATTER FACTOR (HGF SF) IN SEMINALPLASMA OF PATIENTS WITH ANDROLOGICAL DISEASES/

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) has all the character istics of a molecule suitable for functioning in regulatory networks o f motility, such as the spermatogenic epithelium, where spermatogenic cells must migrate between the cells of Sertoli, and it exerts its eff ect through binding of its high-affinity receptor (c-met). Considering the findings that c-met receptor is expressed in the human testis and on spermatozoa, and that HGF/SF in seminal plasma consists of pro-HGF /SF, mature alpha beta-HGF/SF, and less active forms of HGF/SF, we inv estigated the concentration and biological activity of HGF/SF in semin al plasma and their correlation with-parameters of spermatogenesis to obtain better insight into mechanisms that may be involved in the path ogenesis of male infertility. We also evaluated the potential value of assessment of hepatocyte growth factor concentration and its bioactiv ity for the diagnosis of certain pathological conditions of male repro duction. We studied the concentration and biological activity of HGF/S F in seminal plasma of normal men and of patients with a range of andr ological diseases or conditions by measuring HGF/SF in seminal plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by scatter assay using Madin- Darby canine kidney epithelial cells. We identified three sources of H GF/SF in seminal plasma. In samples from vasectomized men (n = 30; 2.0 1 ng/ml) and in split ejaculate samples (n = 6; 1(e) fraction 2.75 ng/ ml, 2(e) fraction 1.62 ng/ml), a prostatic origin can be certified. Th is HGF/SF has low biological activity (133.3 U/ml). In inflammation of the accessory sex glands (n = 40), a high amount of HGF/SF (3.04 ng/m l) can be generated by white blood cells and has moderate scatter acti vity (426.7 U/ml). In normozoospermic samples, there is a lower amount of HGF/SF (1.12 ng/ml), with strong scatter activity (1280.0 U/ml). F inally, the clear difference between the low amount of HGF/SF (1.06 ng /ml) with poor scatter activity (106.6 U/ml) in oligozoospermic sample s (n = 28) and the high amount of HGF/SF (3.35 ng/ml) with strong scat ter activity (853.3 U/ml) in samples from men with azoospermia of prim ary testicular failure (n = 18) suggests a mainly testicular origin, w ith different activity in different pathological conditions.