Sequential changes of hepatocyte growth factor in the serum and enhanced c-Met expression in the myocardium in acute myocardial infarction

A 68-year-old male with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was admitted to t he hospital with chest pain that had started 1 day earlier. The serum level s (ng/ml) of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were 1.06, 1.22, 1.05, 0.72 and 0.64 on days 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 postinfarction, respectively. He died sudden ly due to cardiopulmonary arrest an day 6. At autopsy, approximately 400 ml of bloody pericardial fluid, caused by rupture of the left ventricle, was detected and the c-Met expression in the myocardium was immunohistochemical ly found to be most intense in the border zone of the infarcted and non-inf arcted region. Although there was no c-Met expression in the infarcted myoc ardium, it was increased in the myocardial cells surrounding the blood vess els. This is the first report to show sequential changes of HGF in the seru m, as well as c-Met expression in the myocardium, in a patient with AMI.